Surgeons have warned they are seeing ‘an epidemic’ of patients – some as young as three – with horrific and life-changing burns caused by overheating and exploding batteries from e-bikes and e-scooters.
The devices, which have powerful electric motors, have become common, with pedestrians under threat from riders speeding through parks and along pavements. However, medics have now also blamed the vehicles for a sharp rise in burns victims.
Surgeons who treat these often life-changing injuries are calling for hazard labels to increase public awareness, while predicting cases will increase as the number of e-bikes and e-scooters in the UK – currently around 550,000 – continues to rise.
They also revealed more people, especially young children, are receiving burns from touching the batteries while they are charging.
Adam Kerman, 44, from Leicestershire, nearly died from a battery explosion in 2023. While charging his e-scooter, the father-of-three heard a bang. When he went to check, he was blown backwards by a ball of flame.
As his flat caught fire, he escaped but his airway was badly burned and he suffered burns across 11 per cent of his body.
Last night he said: ‘There was no mention this could happen. Permanent warning labels are needed to make sure no one else has to go through the nightmare I’ve been through.’
The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) is also calling for action. Its president, consultant plastic surgeon Mani Ragbir, said: ‘Manufacturers, sellers and marketplaces must take responsibility, including spreading awareness of these dangers.’
London Fire Brigade released footage of an e-scooter battery explosion in a bid to urge users to charge their vehicles safely
Residents in the shared house in Harlesden, north west London, had to be rehomed due to the devastation of the blaze
The devices, which have powerful electric motors, have become common, with pedestrians under threat from riders speeding through parks and along pavements
Research presented to BAPRAS by University of Manchester Medical School has reviewed evidence on patients worldwide injured by batteries in personal mobility devices (PMDs) – the term for e-bikes and e-scooters.
PMDs use lithium-ion batteries, which are cheaper to make and more powerful than older types of rechargeable batteries but contain flammable chemicals.
John Warner-Levy, lead author of the study, said: ‘If they’re left on charge for too long, or the wrong charger is used, they can overheat, causing an internal short-circuit. More and more heat is generated alongside ever-greater amounts of combustible gases such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide. At a certain point, it detonates in a huge fireball.’
Although data on burns victims is collated around the UK, the cause isn’t always listed, meaning there is no definitive evidence on numbers of battery burns. The London Fire Brigade, however, has said 143 fires were caused by e-bikes and 36 by e-scooters in London in 2023, causing three deaths and 60 injuries.
Mr Warner-Levy added: ‘With PMDs becoming even more popular in Britain, there’s likely to be a corresponding increase in burns.
‘In Singapore and China – which are years ahead in terms of adopting PMDs – there are far more reports of injuries from these sorts of explosions.’
Privately owned e-scooters are illegal to ride on public roads and cycle paths. E-bikes are legal if the engine only assists a pedalling rider and is limited to 15.5mph. But after-market DIY kits are available for both.
Mr Warner-Levy warned that DIY adaptations were a major source of explosions as users ended up with mismatched components.
Damage to a property caused by an e-scooter, in West Hampstead, north-west London earlier this week
Pictures posted by the London Fire Brigade show scorched marks spread across the outside of the red-bricked home in West Hampstead
Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters raced to the scene in West Hampstead where the blaze had spread across the ground floor and up the stairs
Another fire occurred at around hours later at 2.35am on Tuesday when an e-bike caught fire in Feltham, west London
Zeeshan Sheikh, consultant surgeon at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, pointed out some of the signs that a battery was becoming dangerous.
He said: ‘People should watch out for a bulge in the battery housing, a peculiar smell, smoke or even a reduction in performance – these are danger signs.
‘Never leave them [charging] unattended or charge them overnight. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and use only the recommended chargers.’
The other danger from PMD batteries is when the charger terminals are touched – particularly by children. In a fraction of a second, their temperature can rise above 400C, causing burns.
BAPRAS is calling for brightly coloured warning labels on battery packs and QR codes linking to fire safety advice, as well as a ban on DIY conversion kits.
