// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
E-bike and e-scooter battery fires cause of 18 deaths and nearly 700 injuries
Eighteen people have died and nearly 700 have been injured in fires caused by e-bikes and e-scooters, new data shows.
Fatalities recorded by fire and rescue services across the UK from these fires include cases where people became trapped inside burning homes, died while trying to escape from a fire out of a high window, or from inhaling toxic smoke.
More than 2,000 fires were started by e-bikes, e-scooters or their batteries between 2019 and 2025, Freedom of Information requests made by BBC Verify show.
The number of incidents has risen year-on-year and nearly half the fires started in homes or garages, the data shows.
London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pam Oparaocha told BBC Verify the service is "increasingly concerned by the significant fire risk" some of these vehicles can pose.
"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," she added.
Footage of fires caused by e-bikes and e-scooters show how quickly the vehicles can start smoking and then apparently explode, causing blazes that spread within minutes.
Watch: How quickly e-bike and e-scooter fires can start
An average of 153,000 new e-bikes have been added to the UK's roads each year since 2020, according to cycling industry trade body, the Bicycle Association.
The cost of a new e-bike ranges from around £400 to £4,000 in high street retailers such as Halfords or Decathlon, while second-hand vehicles and unregulated e-bike conversion kits can be found on online marketplaces for as little as £150.