Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh has called on the Government to take further action over the growing risk posed by e-bike battery fires, warning that dangerous batteries and conversion kits are continuing to make their way into people’s homes.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, McDonagh highlighted the record number of fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters in London last year and urged ministers to strengthen protections for consumers.
She said:
“Today at PMQs, I called on the Government to take action on the growing danger of e-bike battery fires.”
McDonagh pointed to 206 e-bike and e-scooter fires in London during 2025, a record annual total according to the London Fire Brigade. Of those incidents, 171 involved e-bikes and 35 involved e-scooters. Two people died in such fires during the year.
Conversion kits remain a major concern
The London Fire Brigade has repeatedly warned that faulty or poorly manufactured lithium-ion batteries, chargers and conversion kits are among the major causes of these incidents.
Conversion kits allow ordinary bicycles to be fitted with an electric motor and battery, but the Brigade warns that risks can increase when batteries and chargers are purchased separately, are incompatible or fail to meet UK safety requirements.
The Brigade advises people to buy equipment from reputable sellers, avoid second-hand batteries, use the correct charger and have conversions carried out professionally where possible.
McDonagh said the scale of the problem showed that voluntary advice alone was not enough and argued that dangerous products needed to be prevented from reaching consumers in the first place. She has previously pressed for tougher action on lithium-ion battery fires.
Fires can develop with devastating speed
Lithium-ion battery fires are particularly dangerous because they can spread extremely quickly and produce intense heat and toxic smoke.
London Fire Brigade has described e-bikes and e-scooters as one of the capital’s fastest-growing fire risks.
In one incident in Perivale last year, firefighters rescued residents after a converted e-bike caught fire in the entrance hall of a block of flats, potentially blocking the occupants’ escape route. Investigators believed the fire was caused by the failure of the bike’s lithium-ion battery.
Since 2023, five people have died in London fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters.
Labour MPs push for stronger product safety
McDonagh’s intervention adds to pressure for tighter regulation of batteries, chargers and conversion kits sold online, particularly products imported from overseas or supplied through marketplaces where compliance with UK standards can be difficult to establish.
The Government already advises consumers to ensure e-cycle conversion kits meet UK regulations and warns that incompatible batteries and chargers can create an “extremely high fire risk”.
But fire safety organisations have argued that stronger rules are needed to ensure products are properly tested and certified before they are sold.
For McDonagh, the issue is fundamentally about preventing avoidable tragedies.
Her intervention puts renewed pressure on the Government to ensure that the growth of cleaner forms of transport is accompanied by robust safety standards — protecting households from dangerous batteries while allowing people to continue using safe, legal e-bikes with confidence.
