Campaign across the UK cycling industry aims to increase e-bike battery safety

A UK-based cross-industry campaign has recently been launched that intends to share information regarding safety around e-bike batteries. Industry trade bodies, e-bike brands, local bike shops and national charities have all joined forces to create the ‘e-bike positive’ campaign which is hoped will “boost electric bike battery safety knowledge, inform more people of the benefits of e-cycling, and encourage consumers to buy with confidence.”

The campaign also extends to the government where it aims to advise on how it can better protect UK consumers and businesses. The ultimate aim of ‘e-bike positive’ is to increase consumers' confidence when purchasing an e-bike. This comes in light of recent research by the Electric Bike Alliance that found concerns over e-bike battery fires dissuade prospective e-bike users from choosing to travel by e-bike. 

The research also went on to find that 23% of UK adults are hesitant to buy an e-bike as a result of news detailing recent battery fire incidents. Beyond this 25% of people surveyed admitted to worrying about the safety of batteries charging nearby. 

The campaign is quick to highlight the recent spate of reported e-bike fires have primarily been caused by “defective and low-quality - therefore high-risk - products like aftermarket lithium-ion batteries, chargers, and conversion kits from non-reputable sources, international online retailers and resellers.” 

Sarah McMonagle, Director of External Affairs at Cycling UK, said: “Like traditional pedal cycles, e-cycles boost physical and mental health, improve air quality, and reduce carbon emissions. They’re a great option for people who cycle in a hilly area, experience mobility challenges, carry children or shopping, or simply don’t want to get sweaty on their commute.

“When purchased from reputable manufacturers e-cycles are very safe. That’s why we’re supporting this education campaign alongside Cycling UK's ongoing calls for the UK government to make e-cycles more accessible.”

The aim of the campaign is to educate consumers about areas to look out for when buying an e-bike to increase safety and reliability. To effectively do this the campaign has employed a three-pronged approach which consists of:

• Offering expert support with over 100 local bike shops pledging to advertise, sell and repair UK legal and safety-checked e-bikes.
• Educational resources around safe battery use, independent advice for consumers and further resources to help inform people of best practices.
• The final part of the campaign is to increase customer assurance in their e-bikes. To do this the e-bike sector is developing a new scheme that will highlight, “reputable, high-quality brands who thoroughly safety-test their e-cycles and batteries.”

From the information collected, it does appear that clearer and more readily accessible e-bike educational material could be the best way forward to encourage more people onto e-bikes. 64% of UK adults who were surveyed claimed that better e-bike education would reduce concerns around e-bike use. 

Jonathan Harrison, Director of the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT), said: “E-bikes are an excellent solution for modern transportation for almost anyone. They encourage more active lifestyles and make cycling with friends and family of mixed abilities possible. Electric cycles are growing in popularity, which underscores the importance of helping consumers to distinguish between high-quality, reliable e-bike products and those that are substandard or potentially hazardous, such as aftermarket lithium-ion batteries, chargers, and conversion kits from unreliable sources.”

For full information on the campaign including participating retailers head over to the e-bike positive website.