Dangerous cheap e-bikes and batteries bought from unregulated online sites are causing fires

THE PRESIDENT OF Cycling Ireland has said dangerous cheap e-bikes and batteries bought from unregulated online sites are creating a serious fire risk and endangering people who buy them.

Ciaran Cannon was speaking after a report in Britain found that e-bike and e-scooter fires reached a record high last year.

Ebikes are battery powered bicycles with a small motor in their frames which act as an assistance to cyclists. In Ireland such a bike is limited to 25 kilometres per hour; anything above that is illegal. 

British Fire Brigade figures obtained by the Press Association show 432 e-bike blazes were recorded across the UK in 2025. That is up 38% from 313 the previous year, and is more than five times higher than the 84 in 2021.

Anecdotally, fire brigade sources in Ireland say they are also seeing a spike in the amount of ebike related fires. 

A source working in the west of the country said that the issue they are facing is that any damage to the e-bike battery housing is causing fires as the lithium battery reacts with the air. 

As the bikes are heavy, the source said, there is also an issue with them being left at the bottoms of stairwells, and when a fire happens, they are then causing escape routes to be limited. 

There is a boom in e-bike sales in Ireland, but that this increase has also seen people buying from unregulated online sources seeking a cheaper option. 

At present in Germany, sales of e-bikes have outstripped normal bikes and that trend is global. 

“If you look at a lot of the evidence, but certainly anecdotal and otherwise, it’s emerging internationally that the vast majority of these battery fires occur with bikes that were bought from untrustworthy sources.

“That’s basically what’s happened, manufactured cheaply, there are no standards,” he said. 

Cannon said that he has recently heard a shocking story of a disreputable manufacturer using batteries from disposable vapes that were then “literally strapped together”.

The advice from Cycling Ireland and other agencies is that people using the bikes need to source their equipment from reputable bike shops here in Ireland. 

“It’s about ensuring, like we do with every other machine that we have on the roads, or indeed that we use in our homes, that they are built to a very safe standard.

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“And there’s a bit of a wild west thing going on right now, and we need to be careful. All e-bikes are manufactured to a certain standard, and that standard then is applied across the whole of the European Union,” he said. 

The issue is such in Britain that Transport for London has begun to ban e-bikes from their network, as there have been fires on the Tube, the city’s underground rail network. 

The Cycling Ireland president and former politician said that he believes that e-bikes are a boom for cycling and the best form of commuting.

Cannon added that they are cheaper to run than a car and that in cities such as Amsterdam the local authorities are extending cycling infrastructure to cope with the greater distances people are commuting. 

He also cautioned against the unregulated nature of the e-bikes and the purchase of kits that allow some users to increase the speed of their kit.

DFB issued warnings previously about the risk of fire from the battery powered vehicles. 

“Lithium-ion batteries, also called li-ion batteries or LIBs, are the lightweight batteries that power e-scooters, e-bicycles and hoverboards. They are safe when used properly, but present a fire risk when over-charged, short-circuited, submerged in water or damaged,” the Dublin City Council website warned. 

The fire service said that there is a need to only use the charger that comes with the product and if it is lost then use a “genuine charger” from the same manufacturer or retailer. 

“Charge your battery outside, if possible. NEVER charge your e-bike or e-scooter in the communal space of an apartment block – this a protected fire escape route.

“If you must charge your battery inside, choose a location that will allow you to escape from all the rooms in your home in the case of a fire. For example, do not charge your e-bike or e-scooter in the hallway as this may prevent your exit. Plan your fire escape routes in advance.

“Only charge the battery for as long as it takes to reach a full charge. Do not charge it overnight,” the advice states. 

It also advises that the charger should be unplugged when leaving home and never cover the e-bike or e-scooter or hoverboards with coats or jumpers or other “insulators”.

“The battery will heat up during use and during charging and this heat needs to dissipate.

“If you notice your e-scooter, e-bicycle or hoverboard behaving erratically, this could be a sign that the battery is damaged and needs to be replaced,” the advice adds. 

Dublin Fire Brigade also advises people to evacuate immediately if a bike battery catches fire.

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