Watch terrifying moment 'dangerous' e-bike battery explodes causing flat fire and sparking UK ban
E-bikes with 'dangerous ' batteries have been banned from sale in the UK following a major flat blaze in the West Midlands.
West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) was called to the scene of a blaze on Radford Street, Coventry at around 4.12pm on Saturday, September 30 last year.
During the fire, a large number of people were evacuated from the 16-storey Samuel Vale House building, with more than 50 firefighters working to douse the blaze.
Following an investigation by the WMFS, investigators discovered that the fire was started accidentally by a 'dangerous' e-bike UPP battery.
Now, following the submission of evidence, shared by WMFS investigators, the e-bike batteries have been banned from sale in the UK by the Office for Product Safety and Standards.
Watch the moment the e-bike exploded below.
Matt Ling, Station Manager at FIPS, said: "Our work directly supplying OPSS with product fire notifications (PFNs) began in September 2022.
"Firefighters and Fire Investigation Officers log details about products identified as being involved in fires, which OPSS uses to understand which products pose a risk and enable them to require businesses to undertake recall or corrective action where necessary."
The fire led to a number of residents being evacuated from their homes, with the blaze dealing significant damage to the scene.
Following the ban, Graham Russell, chief executive officer for OPSS, said: "By working closely with fire and rescue services across the UK, we can access critical data that builds a picture to identify products that may be putting people at risk.
"The data and information we get from West Midlands Fire Service ensures that our regulatory activities are risk-based and intelligence-led.
"A key example of this is the recent UPP battery enforcement action taken by OPSS to stop the supply of dangerous batteries used in e-bikes. This follows reports of fires involving this product by fire and rescue services, including WMFS."
While no one was hurt in the blaze, fire officers warned of the dangers of unregulated and 'dangerous' e-bike batteries, saying their work extends beyond just "reporting to fires."
Colin Stidworthy, Watch Manager at Billesley Fire Station, who assisted the investigation, said: "Our priority when responding to a fire is keeping people safe and limiting damage. However, our work doesn’t necessarily stop there.
"Our work with OPSS is potentially lifesaving. We must identify any products that might be dangerous, and ensure that we log incidents to capture any trends."
As a result of the ban, four online marketplaces, 20 online sellers, and the Chinese-based manufacturer are no longer permitted to sell the 'UPP' e-bike batteries.
