Governments around the world are increasingly concerned at the large numbers of poor-quality e-bikes and e-scooters entering the market.
Fire-prone batteries, sub-standard chargers, and bikes and scooters with inadequate safety and construction quality are being intercepted at ports and refused entry.
In the last two years, 13,000 e-bikes and e-scooters with safety shortcomings have been seized at Felixstowe, the UK's busiest port.
Another 9000 scooters were seized because markings on controls, and information in instruction manuals failed to meet safety requirements.
Safety authorities and the bike industry are repeating calls for consumers to avoid buying online and to purchase only from reputable e-bike retailers.
Graham Crisp, Head of Suffolk Trading Standards, which seized the bikes at Felixstowe, says that stopping the sale of thousands of unsafe e-scooters is a fantastic achievement.
“Whilst buying cheaper batteries or battery converter kits for e-scooters and e-bikes can be tempting for those looking to save money, they could end up paying the ultimate price.”
Fire services across the UK are seeing an increase in incidents caused by e-scooters and e-bikes. A fatality following a fire in London at the beginning of the year is believed to have been started by a faulty e-bike battery that burst into flames.
“Care should be taken even when using legitimate batteries and chargers; batteries should be allowed time to cool down before being charged and chargers should be unplugged immediately after use to help reduce the risk of fire," says Crisp.
“E-scooter and e-bike users should also avoid charging the vehicles in residential buildings overnight as this is when the majority of fires have happened due to people being asleep and unaware of chargers starting to overheat before igniting.”
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