Bicycle Association launches Action Plan urging Government to tackle unsafe e-bike battery fires
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
The Bicycle Association (BA) has launched a new Action Plan calling for urgent Government action to address the number of fires caused by unsafe e-bike batteries, with a focus on closing legal loopholes and improving regulation of online marketplaces and gig economy practices.
The plan identifies key actions for Government, including stopping the import and sale of unsafe e-bike batteries and conversion kits, particularly via unregulated online platforms; reforming the gig economy delivery sector, where demand for low-cost, high-risk kits is high; and closing legal loopholes that permit the sale of non-road-legal e-bikes and conversion kits, which are often involved in serious incidents.
Developed with input from its members and in consultation with other trade bodies including the ACT, the BA’s 20-page Action Plan has also been submitted to the ongoing All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking (APPGCW) inquiry into e-bike safety.
Peter Eland, Technical & Policy Director at the BA, said: “These tragic incidents must be stopped, and that requires decisive action which goes well beyond technical regulations. We need Ministers and Government departments—especially DfT, DBT and the Home Office—to properly regulate both online marketplaces and gig economy delivery operators, so that those sectors take real responsibility for the unsafe products supplied through their platforms or used to deliver their services.
“Government must also close the loophole that allows illegal e-motorbikes and the kits used to make them to be sold legally. These are not e-bikes—they’re unsafe, high-speed vehicles, and removing them from sale would improve fire safety, road safety, and help combat their criminal misuse.”
The BA’s plan echoes similar sentiments from the ACT’s own submission to the APPGCW inquiry, which also urged the Government to better regulate online marketplaces and impose clear regulations on the gig economy delivery sector.
Jonathan Harrison, Director of the ACT, said: “We look forward to the Government’s response to both this BA report and the APPGCW inquiry. These are timely and well-founded calls for action, and we hope to see positive results that help protect the future of our reputable, high-quality industry—one that offers safe, sustainable transport for the UK public.”
The Action Plan also reinforces the importance of cross-departmental coordination and immediate action ahead of longer-term legislation. It calls on Government to make full use of existing powers to curb unsafe imports and ensure consistent enforcement.
The Action Plan highlights how the reputable UK cycle industry has already taken steps to protect consumers, including the creation of the E-bike Positive campaign, supported by the ACT. This initiative helps consumers identify safe, legal e-bikes through the E-bike Positive Retailer Pledge and the E-bike Safety Register of verified brands.
The full BA E-bike Safety Action Plan is available for download on the Bicycle Association website.