E-bike, E-scooter Fires Surge in UK

0:00It's April 6th, you're listening to Europe News today, AI Power Coverage from every European capital. UK fire brigades logged 432 e-bike fires in 2025, a 38% jump from 313 the year, before and over five times the 84 back in 2021. East Gooder Blazes hit 147 last year of 20% from 123 in 2024. These fires mostly stem from faulty lithium batteries, dodgy conversion kits, and chargers, especially cheap ones grab from online marketplaces, without proper checks. London fire brigades saw the worst of it, with 171 e-bike fires, and 35 e-scooter ones, while places like Nottinghamshire, and Greater Manchester Trail behind. These blazes spread fast and spewed toxic fumes, claiming lives like that of a 30-year-old woman in a North London flat fire, sparked by a charging e-bike battery. Experts from safety groups warn it's a ticking time bomb fueled by subpar products undercutting legit sellers,

1:04with black market batteries from vape, scraps adding fuel to the fire for delivery riders. Government just dropped consultations to force online platforms to spot and yank dangerous goods, amid bans on private e-scooters, and non-photable. e-bikes on public transport steps aiming to slam the brakes before more homes go up and smoke.