Charity calls for stricter control on the sales of batteries for e-bikes and scooters
A new report from Electrical Safety First says some lithium-ion batteries contain the same explosive energy as six grenades
There are calls for the government to impose stricter controls on the sales of batteries for e-bikes and e-scooters - after a series of battery fires that have caused injuries and in some cases, deaths.
Charity Electrical Safety First (ESF) wants to see legislation introduced that requires batteries for e-bikes and e-scooters to be regulated like fireworks and heavy machinery.
The recommendation, in a new report, titled Battery Breakdown, would see batteries for e-bikes and e-scooters need third-party approval before being placed on the UK market - a requirement the charity says is already introduced in New York City.
ESF estimates a fully charged e-bike battery can release a similar amount of stored energy as the amount of TNT (an explosive) contained in 6 hand grenades.
They say, when batteries fail a process called thermal runaway occurs, which releases a large amount of energy over a longer period of time, resulting in fire and toxic gas emissions, a bit like a firework.
They point out there have been a number of incidents where e-bikes have caught fire leading to serious injury and deaths.
Although national figures are not currently monitored, ESF estimates that there have been eight deaths so far this year as a result of e-bike fires.
Among them is a 31 year old mum and her two young children, who died in a fire in Cambridge last month, which fire services believe started after an e-bike being charged overnight caught fire.
Suffolk Trading Standards
Suffolk Trading Standards tell us they've stopped more than 20,000 e-bikes and e-scooters from entering the country via the Port of Felixstowe in the past two years due to safety concerns.
Sasha Watson is from there: "More needs to be done around consumer education - making sure people know how and where to buy a safe product...
"If it looks to good to be true, or is very cheap... it probably is too good to be true."
She gave us this safety advice: "Buy from a reputable retailer... make sure the product has a 'CE' mark or a 'UK CA' mark - that means it's been tested to those safety standards...
"And always makes sure you follow the instructions!"