E-commerce giant eBay has announced it will restrict the sale of e-bikes and e-bike batteries on its UK platform from Oct. 31.
After the changes come into force, only “eligible business sellers” will be allowed to list e-bikes and the batteries that power them.
Consumer safety is a priority for eBay, a company spokeswoman said.
“To further improve consumer safety on our marketplace, from 31 October 2024, only eligible business sellers will be able to list e-bikes and e-bike batteries for sale in the UK.
“This policy change is in addition to the CE audits of listings offering e-bike batteries that we started last year, where we check that the products sellers are offering have valid CE documentation,” she said in a statement.
E-bikes are powered by various type of batteries, of which lithium-ion batteries are a popular choice because they are lightweight and have a long lifespan.
When they overheat, lithium-ion batteries often cause a fire, which can spread rapidly. UK fire brigade chiefs have previously issued warnings about dangers posed by lithium-ion batteries.
“When these batteries and these chargers fail, they do so with ferocity. These fires quite often develop very quickly,” he told The Epoch Times.
The advice by the LFB says that while e-bikes are a popular type of transportation, users need to be aware of the dangers they pose.
It said that the majority of e-bike fires happen in communal areas or escape routes, blocking fire exits in case of an emergency.
The eBay announcement comes amid warnings that many fires are caused by incompatible chargers and faulty or counterfeit products purchased online. This includes lithium batteries and conversion kits for e-bikes, the LFB said in a statement.
“Batteries purchased online might not necessarily adhere to UK safety regulations are more likely to fail and cause a fire. Buying batteries second hand means you may be buying a battery that is already damaged and a fire risk,” the LFB warned.
Risk and Regulation
Official data show that on average there was a fire from a lithium battery in an e-bike or e-scooter every two days in 2023 in London.In July, a woman and two young children were killed as a result of a fire, which has been blamed on an e-bike. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said they believed the fire started accidentally and was most probably caused by an e-bike, which had been left charging.
A spokesperson for charity Electrical Safety First welcomed eBay’s new policy and called for stronger regulations of the market.
“We are encouraged to see eBay take proactive steps in an attempt to reduce the risk of substandard batteries entering people’s homes, as they pose a serious risk of fire if they fail.
“Whilst this voluntary move is welcome, we continue to call for online marketplaces to be legally obligated to take reasonable steps to ensure products sold via their sites are safe and we hope the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill will mandate this.
“This legislation must also be used to prevent battery fires by introducing mandatory third-party certification for e-bikes, e-scooters, and their batteries to stop poor quality products entering the market. It should also introduce more robust standards for conversion kits and regulations for charging,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.
