A mother-of-three was left homeless after an electrical fire caused by an exploding modified e-bike destroyed her family home.
Emma Wills from Chilworth in Surrey was left heartbroken when the fire destroyed her possessions and killed one of her beloved kittens.
She had gone away to Cornwall for the night in January and a family friend visiting her home charged the bike, which had recently been modified using a conversion kit bought from an online marketplace.
“It hadn’t been on charge for long, no more than 20 minutes, but it went up so quickly and destroyed everything,” Ms Wills said.
“It had exploded and left a hole in the living room floor, and the fire wrecked the kitchen and my bedroom. The house was so unsafe we couldn’t live there anymore,” she added.
Conversion kits are often more financially attainable for many as opposed to purchasing a fully manufactured e-bike, however substandard components making up these kits, often sold via online marketplaces, can cause catastrophic fires, experts have warned.
Now Ms Wills is warning others of the dangers of modified e-bikes.
“I’ve always been aware of the risks of lithium-ion batteries because of having kids that are into those things. Most people assume it won’t happen to them, but it can, and in some cases, it will,” she warned.
Almost a quarter (23 per cent) of UK bike owners surveyed said they would consider turning their push-bike into an e-bike using a conversion kit.
Worryingly, almost a third (28 per cent) said they would likely buy their kit from an online marketplace, where unsafe and unregulated products sold by third-party sellers have been found to be widely available.
“My advice to others would be to think carefully about where you charge these products,” Ms Wills said.
“If you can, charge them outside. Always read the reviews before you buy, I would have never done that before, but I do now, and make sure you’re purchasing from a reputable company,” she added.
In 2024, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) received 170 reports of e-bike fires, with 45 per cent confirmed to be from converted e-bikes, although the actual number is expected to be much higher as not all fire and rescue services notify OPSS of fires involving consumer products.
A Government consultation is imminent that will explore ways to tackle the issue of battery fires and potentially dangerous goods.
Safety experts are urging shoppers to stick to reputable manufacturers and professional installers for conversion kits, warning that purchasing kits via online marketplaces could risk a “ticking time bomb” being brought into their home.
“Conversion kits can be a great way to upgrade your bike, but in reality, kits made up of substandard components can cause devastating fires,” Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First said.
“Technology has outpaced regulation meaning there are no existing safety standards for conversion kits, something we desperately need the government to change.”
Mr Capanna explained many of these kits sold via online marketplaces are poorly made and do not include a battery and charger – meaning buyers have to shop for a compatible pair themselves. This is also a fire risk.
He added: “If you’re one of the many push bike owners considering converting your device, it’s vital you stick to a reputable manufacturer or retailer where you can be sure your kit will be made to a high standard and leave your bike legally road compliant.”
