E-bikes blamed as UK fire brigades see 147% rise in lithium-ion battery fires in three years
A “worrying” increase in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries bursting into flames has left fire crews battling such blazes every five hours across the UK.
Increasing fire incidents, often linked to e-bikes, have led to growing concerns that current regulations are inadequate as the use of electric cars, e-bikes and battery-powered scooters increases.
Figures obtained via FOI request from insurer QBE reveal rapid increase in lithium-ion fires; this number increased from 713 in 2022 to 1,760 in 2025; This represents a 147 percent increase and means fire crews battled these fires almost five times a day last year.
Data showed that e-bikes are the number one source of lithium-ion battery fires. 520 fires linked to e-bikes in 2025; that number has tripled from just three years ago.
Of these, 44 per cent were handled by the London Fire Brigade; In 2025, 230 e-bike fires occurred in the capital.
QBE said the FOI showed that converted or refurbished e-bikes were included more often than officially manufactured models where fire crews recorded this information.
Data showed fires involving electric vehicles (EVs) increased by 133 percent, from 120 incidents in 2022 to 279 in 2025; however, this increase is low compared to the total number of electric vehicles on UK roads over the same period, which has tripled from 664,148 EVs in 2022 to 1,971,764 EVs in 2025.
Fire department data revealed that almost half (46 percent) of lithium-ion battery fires occurred in people’s homes, while 31 percent occurred outdoors and 23 percent were recorded in commercial facilities.
In addition to bikes, cars and scooters, lithium-ion batteries are widely used in a range of electronic devices including smartphones, laptops and tablets, and the average UK home has 15-25 lithium-ion batteries.
“Specifically, 45 percent of fire incidents involving lithium-ion batteries occurred in devices such as mobile phones, tablets, power packs and other battery-powered equipment,” QBE said.
Fires caused by lithium-ion batteries tend to occur due to a process called “thermal runaway,” in which batteries begin to irreversibly overheat. This may occur due to overcharging the battery, exposure to high temperatures, or damage to the battery from impact.
Spencer Sutcliff, London Fire Brigade’s assistant commissioner for prevention, protection and operational policy, said: Independent: “We are extremely concerned about the e-bike and e-scooter fires and the devastating impact they could have on lives and livelihoods.
“We attended a record number of fires last year and our firefighters continue to be called to a worrying number of incidents involving e-bike and e-scooter batteries this year. Public awareness is vital and there needs to be a collective effort from all relevant organizations to ensure people understand the risks we know exist and what they can do to help prevent fires or serious harm from them.”
He said regulation could help improve product safety and also reduce the sale of faulty or counterfeit products, particularly e-bike batteries, chargers and conversion kits.
“I am pleased to see that the Department of Business and Trade has launched the necessary consultation on the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill this spring,” he added.
Adrian Simmonds, Risk Manager at QBE Insurance, said: “It is vital that people and businesses take action to better manage this increased risk. “Thermal runaway caused by these types of batteries burns differently, takes much longer to overcome and can require up to 10 times more water to control.
“Awareness of safe charging, storage and disposal is crucial to keeping people and property safe.”
He added: “People should only use certified e-bikes and batteries, charge them away from escape routes and avoid charging items overnight. Statistics show retrofit bikes are more prone to these types of incidents, so we would encourage people to stick to reputable companies when buying and avoid unregulated devices.”
QBE’s FOI request saw data returned from 42 of the 49 fire brigades in the UK.
