Launch Event 

On Wednesday 15th April 2026, the APPG for Electrical Safety was pleased to welcome over 80 attendees to the Group’s launch event on e-bike battery safety.  

The event began with a screening of a short documentary, produced by Electrical Safety First, on the UK’s e-bike battery fire crisis. The film outlined how the e-bike is revolutionising the way we travel, with the increase in popularity of e-micromobility providing numerous benefits to public health and the environment.  

However, there is another side to this story, with the UK seeing a huge increase in the number of e-bike battery related fires, with London Fire Brigade now responding to an e-bike related incident every other day on average. Since 2020, 16 people have tragically lost their lives in an e-bike battery fire, alongside countless injuries, hospitalisations and extensive property damage.   

The documentary platformed the voices of those who have experienced first-hand the devastating impacts of these fires, with contributions from London Fire Brigade and the New York City Fire Department firefighters outlined the challenges facing fire departments as they seek to adapt to this rapidly evolving fire risk. 

In many instances, these fires have been caused by substandard e-bike batteries or conversion kits, which are easily obtained from online marketplaces. These platforms are not required to adhere to the rigorous safety standards imposed on conventional high street retailers. This illustrates the potentially fatal consequences when retail innovation outpaces regulatory oversight, underscoring the urgency at which this issue must be tackled.  

Following the documentary screening, APPG Chair, Markus Campbell-Savours MP was joined for a panel discussion by: 

• Tara Joe, Electrical Safety First 
• Julian Scriven, Brompton Bicycles 
• DC Spencer Sutcliff, London Fire Brigade 

• Lord Foster of Bath, Liberal Democrat Peer 

   

The discussion served as a deep dive into the issues raised by the documentary, with a focus on the importance of the current Government consultation on the UK’s product safety framework. 

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act received Royal Assent in August 2025, with specific details to be set out in the Act’s secondary legislation. The Office for Product Safety and Standards published the 12-week consultation on the Act’s secondary legislation in March 2026, with the panel discussion highlighting the importance of tough measures to better protect consumers and responsible businesses. 

Key takeaways from the discussion were: 

• The panel praised some of the positive proposals in the consultation, including the recognition of online marketplaces as active players in the supply chain, alongside a more robust definition of what makes a product safe. 

• The panel highlighted that the increase in fires from substandard e-bike batteries has had a negative impact on responsible manufactures, with bans to e-bikes on public transport, offices and social housing damaging the industry. Therefore, enhanced regulation will better protect compliant businesses, with Brompton urging other manufactures to respond to the consultation. 

• Electrical Safety First announced that, together with a coalition of product safety experts, they will be developing comprehensive stakeholder resources to offer clear guidance on how to respond effectively to the consultation.  

   

The documentary is available to watch here, with the consultation resources to be made available on the APPG for Electrical Safety website in May. For more information, please contact appg@electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk.