A new bill has been introduced in Washington, D.C., to implement mandatory fire safety standards for e-bike and scooter batteries.
The proposed Micromobility Fire Safety Standards Act of 2025 is intended to address fire hazards associated with low-quality batteries. From November 2018 to March 2025, riders in the District collectively travelled more than 38 million miles using e-bikes and scooters. The legislation seeks to regulate battery sales both in physical stores and online to enhance consumer safety.
LEVA-EU’s view
LEVA-EU thinks that it is important to align all battery rules such as with the EU’s Battery Regulation in order to minimize compliance burden for LEV manufacturers.
The UK Parliament is initiating an inquiry into e-bike safety, with particular attention given to the role of the gig economy in encouraging the modification of electric bikes and the use of potentially hazardous upgrade kits that may pose thermal risks.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling & Walking (APPGCW) is now soliciting evidence from a range of stakeholders. These include industry professionals, delivery riders with relevant experience, advocacy organisations, policy experts, emergency services, and other concerned parties.
Fabian Hamilton MP, Chair of the APPGCW, noted the potential of e-bikes to contribute to a more sustainable and equitable transport system. However, he expressed concern that this potential could be compromised by the proliferation of low-quality imported conversion kits. He highlighted the pressures experienced by gig economy workers, who may resort to using unregulated or unsafe equipment to enhance their earnings. In some cases, these products may constitute illegally modified motorcycles rather than compliant e-bikes, which could harm the reputation of legitimate e-bike manufacturers.
Public perception has also been affected by media reports that may have misrepresented the root causes of fire risks associated with electric bikes. This has led to actions such as landlords and building managers restricting e-bike storage and use, and Transport for London banning e-bikes from its services. Additionally, some insurers have begun to deny coverage to bike shops, despite most shops not selling the types of kits linked to thermal incidents. This has raised concerns about the impact on independent retailers, which have not been responsible for distributing dangerous components.
Specialist e-bike insurers have indicated that, based on their data, e-bike fire risks are minimal, suggesting that media narratives may have contributed disproportionately to public alarm.
The inquiry aims to clarify the scope of the issue, explore its implications for the cycling industry and public safety, and identify practical responses. It also presents an opportunity to reassess public understanding of electric bikes amid industry challenges that have included shop closures and job losses.
China has passed a new electric vehicle (EV) battery safety regulation, becoming the first country to mandate that battery packs must not catch fire or explode, even in the event of internal thermal runaway.
Effective from mid-2026, this regulation will require EV manufacturers to meet significantly enhanced safety standards. Currently, EV manufacturers are required to include warning systems that alert users to thermal incidents at least five minutes before they become dangerous. This is typically achieved through extensive sensor systems that detect abnormalities and trigger automatic shutdowns or alerts.
Under the new regulation, manufacturers must now demonstrate that battery packs will not ignite, explode, or release smoke into vehicle cabins under a variety of stress conditions. The testing requirements include a new safety evaluation following a fast-charging cycle, as well as an external short-circuit test after 300 fast-charging cycles – neither of which may result in fire or explosion.
Wider e-mobility industry implications
Although the regulation is primarily targeted at electric cars, it applies to all electric vehicles, raising potential implications for the broader e-mobility sector, including e-bikes. The new standard, GB38031-2025, titled Safety Requirements for Power Batteries of Electric Vehicles, may influence battery suppliers and technologies across related industries due to shared components and manufacturing practices.
While the regulation may lead to increased compliance costs, particularly challenging for smaller or mid-sized suppliers, it is expected that larger battery manufacturers, many of which already supply reputable e-bike brands, will be able to adapt. Many companies in the bicycle industry have already been voluntarily improving battery safety standards.
Research from UK testing facilities has indicated a clear relationship between product cost and adherence to safety standards. For the bicycle industry, failure to adopt robust safety practices may present significant risks, particularly as incidents involving poorly regulated battery products continue to attract public and regulatory scrutiny.
Recent restrictions by transport operators and property managers have often followed media coverage of e-bike battery fires. However, investigations frequently trace such incidents to aftermarket conversion kits, which are commonly sold directly to consumers without rigorous safety oversight, rather than to mass-produced e-bikes from established brands.
In parallel, China is advancing the adoption of sodium-ion battery technology, which is inherently non-toxic and non-flammable, reducing the risk of thermal incidents. While sodium-ion batteries are currently less energy-dense and larger than their lithium-ion counterparts, they are gaining traction in applications where size and weight are less critical, such as cargo bikes. For instance, AKKU Energie has supplied Deutsche Post with sodium-ion batteries for its delivery fleet.
Continued advancements in sodium-ion battery performance suggest increasing viability in a wider range of electric vehicles. As China expands its use of this chemistry, it may influence global battery technology trends.