E-bike and e-scooter battery fires have killed 18 people and injured nearly 700 in the UK, according to newly obtained figures from fire and rescue services. The data, secured through Freedom of Information requests by BBC Verify, shows that more than 2,000 fires were sparked by the vehicles between 2019 and 2025.
Deaths and injuries from battery fires
Among the deaths are people who were trapped in their own homes, including mum Gemma Germeney, 31, and her children Lilly Peden, eight, and Oliver Peden, four, who all died after a fire at a flat in Cambridge in March. Others died while jumping from high windows or inhaling toxic smoke produced by the batteries as they ignited.
The figures show that e-bike and e-scooter incidents have increased year-on-year, with nearly half originating in British homes or garages. The number of fires caused by the batteries rose exponentially between 2019 and 2025, from just 32 in the former year to 605 in the latter.
Firefighters' concerns and warnings
Pam Oparaocha, the London Fire Brigade's Assistant Commissioner, told the BBC the service is "increasingly concerned by the significant fire risk". She said: "From our investigations we know many of the fires we've attended have involved second-hand vehicles or the bike has been modified using parts bought online. We urge people to be extremely careful about where they buy their e-bike or e-scooter from."
Fire officials have warned that the batteries not only explode into flame rapidly, but the temperatures produced are "hot enough to melt metal". Blazes can ignite in just a few seconds, leaving families and users who store the vehicles indoors for charging little time to escape.
Recent tragedies and personal stories
In the case of Ms Germeney and her children, an inquest heard it was a "modified" e-bike that caused the fire at their home in Sackville Close on June 20, 2023. The trio died following the fire alongside two family dogs, and the children's dad, Scott Peden, was left comatose for a month. At the time, the fire service said the most probable cause of the fire was an e-bike that was charging at the time of the blaze.
In July this year, 19-year-old Joey Gregory and 13-year-old Coby Keogh died after a suspected e-bike battery fire on Redcar Road in Blackpool. Coby died five days after he was taken to hospital, and Joey's family said he was left with catastrophic brain injuries that were "too catastrophic for him to survive".
Jahmell Campbell, 24, from London, was forced to jump out of a window when his e-scooter caused fire in "the loudest explosion I'd ever heard". He told the BBC he was at his grandmother's home in Hither Green, Lewisham, when the vehicle, which was resting by the front door, burst into flames. He said he "jumped straight out" of the window before running to the back of the home and, with the help of his father, helped his trapped grandmother escape. He said: "My dad had to throw her out the window and we had to catch her."
Rising seizures and government response
Up to 153,000 new bikes have been added to British roads every year since 2020, and seizures are increasing. Figures obtained by the Press Association earlier this month showed that more than 7,000 of the vehicles were taken off UK streets in a 12-month period, an increase of 83 percent in a year. The data, obtained via a freedom-of-information request, showed that police confiscated 7,049 potentially dangerous models across the UK in the year to May 19. This is a significant increase on 2025, when 3,858 were seized.
E-bikes are comparatively cheap, costing as low as just £400 at some high street retailers. Unregulated kits that allow people to add a motor and battery to a standard bike cost as little as £150 and, the London Fire Brigade says, can increase fire risks as people are usually required to purchase a potentially incompatible battery from elsewhere.
In response to the growing issue, the Government launched its "Buy Safe, Be Safe" campaign, which is looking to strengthen responsibilities of vendors who sell these products. The campaign, which is also helping people make informed choices about the bikes, is working with local authorities to identify and remove from sale any potentially unsafe products.
