UK Hits Record Ebike, Escooter Fires in 2025

Fires involving electric bikes and scooters hit record levels across the United Kingdom in 2025, with emergency services responding to 432 ebike incidents and 147 escooter blazes, according to data compiled from fire brigades nationwide. The surge, driven largely by faulty lithium-ion batteries and components purchased from online marketplaces, has prompted urgent safety warnings and a government push for stricter regulations.

The ebike fire count marked a 38 percent increase from 313 incidents in 2024 and represented more than a fivefold rise from 84 cases in 2021. Escooter fires similarly climbed 20 percent from 123 the previous year, up from 88 four years earlier. Experts attribute most incidents to battery failures, substandard conversion kits, or incompatible chargers, particularly in products sourced from unregulated online sellers that bypass the safety checks applied to items from established retailers.

London saw the highest volume of fires, with the London Fire Brigade attending 171 ebike incidents and 35 escooter ones. Outside the capital, Nottinghamshire recorded the most ebike fires at 30, followed by Greater Manchester with 13 and Avon Fire and Rescue Service with...