MPs urge crackdown as unsafe e-bikes and chargers found on Amazon and eBay
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
Several listings this week featured products from the Chinese brand Ridstar that are either identical to or closely resemble models recently deemed unsafe by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).
The OPSS had warned that three Ridstar products posed a severe fire hazard due to faulty electrical components and substandard chargers. Despite this, the same or similar bikes and chargers were available to UK shoppers, even after the government said they had been banned from sale and some intercepted at the border.
The call for better regulation from online marketplaces follows a recent report from All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking's (APPGCW), "Unregulated and Unsafe: The Threat of Illegal E-Bikes", which calls for urgent government action to tackle the sale of dangerous and illegal electric bikes.
MPs Fabian Hamilton and Olly Glover, of the APPGCW, wrote to Amazon’s UK boss warning that these listings likely pose “an immediate fire risk.”
In a separate letter to eBay, the MPs demanded the urgent removal of all e-bike products lacking proper safety certification or breaching UK speed and power limits. They also questioned eBay’s controls, noting the continued presence of more than 1,400 second-hand e-bikes listed by private sellers, despite claims that such sales are banned.
The OPSS warnings follow growing concern among parliamentarians over what they describe as “a crisis hiding in plain sight” around illegal and dangerous electric bikes.
Under UK law, e-bikes must not exceed 15.5mph with a power output no greater than 250 watts, but more powerful models remain easy to purchase online.
Amazon and eBay said they had removed items flagged by the OPSS and insisted they are taking further steps to identify and delist other unsafe products.
Amazon said sellers are required to provide certification from accredited labs and highlighted its partnership with the London Fire Brigade to promote safe usage, with eBay stating that it was conducting CE audits on e-bike battery listings and using AI tools and block filters to detect unsafe or banned items.
Campaigners say stricter rules are not only essential for public safety but also to support businesses complying with regulations.
Jonathan Harrison, Director of the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT), welcomed the calls for tougher oversight. He said: “This push for more controls is vital for the manufacturers and retailers that do produce quality, compliant e-bikes and chargers. It’s incredibly damaging to the industry when substandard and potentially dangerous products are allowed to circulate so freely.
“Clearer enforcement and proper regulation will help protect consumers, level the playing field for responsible businesses, and ensure that e-bikes can continue to grow as a trusted and sustainable mode of transport.”
The warning comes amid wider efforts to promote e-bikes as a sustainable and healthy transport option, including the E-Bike Positive campaign; a UK-wide initiative backed by the ACT designed to improve public understanding of e-bikes, highlight their benefits for sustainable transport, and challenge negative perceptions particularly in mainstream media.
Supporters of the industry say consumer trust is key to growing adoption, and that undermining this with dangerous, illegal products must be addressed urgently.