The general public is becoming increasingly conscious of e-bike fires, with one retailer telling ebiketips that the question of fire safety now comes up at events even more frequently than whether e-bikes are ‘cheating’.
Energise E-bikes say they have no way of knowing how many people have been put off from buying an e-bike because of the perceived danger, "but it’s fair to say that e-bike fires are high in the consciousness of the general public.
“We attend public events like summer fairs and open days and fire safety is a topic that comes up even more than the topic “is e-biking cheating?” or “how fast do they go?” which would have been the main conversation starters a few years ago.”
The retailer has therefore put together a dedicated e-bike safety page on its website, which it said it had, “never deemed necessary before, and we have even been asked by a local landlady to check over an e-bike that one of her tenants stored in a flat she owned as she was worried about the risk”.
> Are e-bike batteries safe? What’s the difference between a safe battery and a fire risk?
Like many others, the store said it will not work on DIY e-bikes, or any e-bike that has been modified or tampered with, and it will not buy or sell off-brand electrical parts for the e-bikes that it stocks. "We also won’t work on e-scooters nor stock them."
While there have been reports that some insurers are declining cover for e-bike shops, due to the perceived fire risk associated, Energise said it so far hasn't had a problem insuring its premises, "but perhaps it has been an advantage that we have been a specialist e-bike retailer since 2011."
Many bike shops are refusing to work on unbranded and unknown battery packs due to the fire risk, with the BA saying that retailers, “need to be ready to explain how reputable products are thoroughly safety-tested, and are generally just as safe as other everyday battery-powered devices.”
Technical and policy director, Peter Eland said that most, "will typically refuse to work on (or even have on the premises) unbranded or unknown battery packs, among other precautions."
E-bikes and e-scooters have become London’s “fastest growing fire risk”, according to the London Fire Brigade (LFB). A fire at a London cycle repair shop last month was believed to have been caused by the failure of a lithium battery pack for an e-bike, which then spread to involve other e-bike battery packs in the shop.
10 people last week escaped a London house fire believed to have been caused by the failure of an e-bike battery, aided by a builder who stopped and put up a piece of scaffolding as a makeshift ladder.
LFB deputy assistant commissioner Richard Field said the fire was, “yet another example in London of the dangers e-bikes and e-scooters can pose if the battery fails catastrophically and catches fire.”
The LFB has welcomed the inclusion of the Product Safety & Metrology Bill announced in the King’s Speech, which seeks to address the potential fire risks associated with e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries. Emphasising a particular area of concern, it described the bill as, "a major step towards improving the regulation of online marketplaces."
> E-bike safety: What to avoid when buying an e-bike, battery or charger
In an article titled, ‘Electric Bike Conversion Kits Could Be Deadly’, retailer eBike Sussex said it chose early on to distance itself from converted e-bikes and e-scooters for many reasons, "but the main one is the inherent fire risk involved in a cheap knock-off e-bike system and/or battery. When an e-bike that has been put together with gaffer tape and cable ties fails it can have serious consequences.”
On the topic of insurance, the retailer said insurance companies are “cottoning on” to the risks involved by businesses that work on modified machines, which is why people may find a "dwindling number" of businesses are able to look after their converted e-bike.
“So this could lead you to take your faulty converted e-bike to a backstreet repair business, perhaps without public liability insurance and the necessary knowledge to safely repair your electrical issue. The question then is do you trust that it won’t catch fire and burn your house down?
“If an electrical fault does develop from faulty repair and it does burn your house down, who will be willing and able to pay out for the damage to your home? Will your house insurance cover for a fire started by a converted e-bike or e-scooter? Maybe it’s time to call them and find out? Never shy from information about your health or finances.”
