Next government must better regulate e-bikes, says group
The call follows a coroner's conclusion that the death of a man in Bristol was caused by an e-bike fire
A campaign group says the next government must introduce tighter regulations around the sale of e-bikes to prevent more lives being lost.
Electrical Safety First says it is "indisputable" that the current situation is costing lives, after last week a coroner ruled a man in Bristol died when an e-bike exploded within a flat.
It is very rare but the lithium ion batteries which power e-bikes (and can also be found in other devices like e-scooters, electric cars and mobile phones) are known to catch fire when damaged.
What happened in Bristol?
Back in September 2022 Afghan refugee Abdul Jabar Oryakhel and three others were asleep inside a flat on the 16th floor of Twinnell House in Easton, when suddenly they were woken by a fire.
Now known to have started when the battery of an e-bike malfunctioned, the flames were so severe that Abdul could not escape through the front door, so he tried to climb out of a window, slipped and fell to his death. Thankfully the other three men survived.
Last week (Tuesday 25th June) a coroner at Avon Coroners Court declared Abdul's death a tragic accident, which could have been prevented if there was greater awareness and tighter regulation around the safety of e-bikes.
Other incidents in recent weeks and months have seen a man in Cambridge lose his entire family and a woman die in London, with the London Fire Brigade recently calling e-bikes the capital's fastest growing fire risk.
Mary Voisin from Avon Coroners Court is now one of three coroners across the UK to have written to the government, all saying action needs to be taken to avoid similar tragedies happening again.
What's the problem?
Statistically, the vast majority of lithium ion batteries and therefore e-bikes, are perfectly safe.
However, they store such a vast amount of energy in a small place that if they are damaged or overheat (for example if left on charge for too long), then they can catch fire and, what is more, fires started by lithium ion batteries are notoriously ferocious.
A blaze at a lithium ion battery factory in South Korea last month killed 23 people, with officials reported as saying those killed would have lost their lives in seconds.
Currently a lack of regulation means manufacturers of the batteries in the UK can self certify their products as safe, without any third party testing.
What is being said?
Electrical Safety First say that has to change.
Commenting on Abdul Jabar Oryakhel's case, Lesley Rudd, their chief executive, said: "This very sad circumstance marks the third letter of its kind to be sent to the Government recommending action is taken to prevent further loss of life from e-bike battery fires.
"The evidence is indisputable that the status quo is costing lives.
“It is essential the next Government prioritises this issue and introduces tighter product safety laws for e-bikes and their batteries in a bid to prevent these devastating fires."
Specifically, Electrical Safety First want to see the introduction of third party certification.
"We first presented our proposals to tackle this escalating threat last year, and since then, we have seen a worrying increase in e-bike fires across the UK," Mr Rudd said.
"This problem is worsening, and without urgent Government intervention, more lives will be lost.”
You can read more about Electrical Safety First and their ideas, here.