Charity issues fire warning after modified e-bike destroys family home
A mother of three was left homeless after an electrical fire caused by a modified e-bike exploding destroyed her family’s home.
Emma Wills, from Chilworth in Surrey, was left heartbroken after a fire destroyed her belongings and killed one of her beloved kittens.
He had traveled to Cornwall to spend the night in January and a family friend visiting his home charged the bike, which had recently been modified using a conversion kit purchased from an online marketplace.
“It hadn’t been on charge for a long time, no more than 20 minutes, but it went up very quickly and ruined everything,” Ms Wills said.
“It exploded and blew a hole in the living room floor, and the fire destroyed the kitchen and my bedroom. The house was so unsafe we couldn’t live there anymore,” she added.
For most people, conversion kits are more financially achievable than purchasing a fully built e-bike; But experts have warned that the substandard components that make up these kits, often sold on online marketplaces, can cause devastating fires.
Now Ms Wills is warning others about the dangers of modified e-bikes.
“I’ve always been aware of the risks lithium-ion batteries carry from having children who are interested in this sort of thing. Most people assume it won’t happen to them, but it can, and in some cases it will,” he warned.
Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of UK bike owners surveyed said they would consider converting their push bike into an e-bike using a conversion kit.
Worryingly, almost a third (28 per cent) said they would likely buy their kit from an online marketplace where unsafe and unregulated products sold by third-party sellers are widely available.
“My advice to others would be to think carefully about where you price these products,” Ms. Wills said.
“Charge them outside if possible. Always read reviews before buying, I would never do this before but I do now and make sure you buy from a reputable company,” he added.
In 2024, the Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) received 170 e-bike fire reports; 45 percent of these were confirmed to be from converted e-bikes; however, the actual number is expected to be much higher as not all fire and rescue services report fires involving consumer products to OPSS.
A Government consultation is imminent to explore ways to tackle the problem of battery fires and potentially hazardous materials.
Security experts are urging shoppers to stick to reputable manufacturers and professional installers for conversion kits, warning that buying kits from online markets could risk a “ticking time bomb” being brought into their home.
“Conversion kits can be a great way to upgrade your bike, but in reality the kits are made up of substandard components It can cause devastating fires,” said Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First.
“Technology has outpaced regulation, which means there are no current safety standards for conversion kits, which is something we desperately need the government to change.”
Mr Capanna explained that many of these kits sold on online marketplaces are poorly manufactured and do not include batteries and chargers, meaning buyers have to buy a compatible pair. This is also a fire risk.
He added: “This is vital if you are one of the many push bike owners considering replacing your device. You stick to a reputable manufacturer or retailer where you can be confident that your kit will be manufactured to a high standard and your bike will be road legal.
