London firefighters are issuing another warning about using e-bikes and e-scooters safely after a recent fire damaged part of the ground floor hallway of a two-storey maisonette in Pimlico. Two people left the property before firefighters arrived and were not injured.
The fire was believed to have been caused by the failure of a UPP battery pack from an e-bike. In January, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) issued withdrawal notices to four online marketplaces requiring them to stop selling the UPP battery, saying it had been linked to a number of fires across England.
A man whose flat in Nottingham was recently destroyed in a fire caused by the battery described it as like, “missiles coming down my corridor”.
A UPP battery was also involved in a fire in Kensington last month, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.
> E-bike safety: What to avoid when buying an e-bike, battery or charger
LFB's assistant commissioner for fire safety, Charlie Pugsley, said: "The lithium batteries that power these vehicles have failed catastrophically and caused devastating fires. We’re asking people to check whether they have a UPP battery at home. If you do, stop using it right away, and contact the seller.
"Often, these batteries fail if they are used with the wrong charger, are faulty, counterfeit or become damaged. As part of our #ChargeSafe campaign, we are calling for much-needed legislation for online marketplaces to ensure products like batteries, chargers and conversion kits are strictly regulated.”
Graham Russell, chief executive of OPSS, said: “We consider these UPP batteries to be dangerous, and that is why we are taking this action to stop them being supplied.
“Consumers need to be aware of the risk of these batteries failing, and the potential fatal consequences that can occur. If anyone owns one, they should not use it and contact the seller for redress."
> Are e-bike batteries safe? What’s the difference between a safe battery and a fire risk?
