Source: MicromobilityBiz

A survey of 2,000 UK adults reveals strong interest in e-bike ownership and a willingness to opt for active travel rather than cars in many scenarios, but worries about battery fires are prominent and discouraging uptake.

The survey, commissioned by BatteryIQ, reveals that 37% of respondents showed an interest in owning an e-bike, with a strong intention to replace shorter car journeys of under five miles (eight kilometres). 28% would use an e-bike for some sub-five mile journeys, 29% would replace all car trips with e-bike of this distance, and 28% would not only replace journeys under five miles, but some longer ones too.

Although the risk of battery fires is rare in high-quality products, there are regular headlines on the topic of e-bike battery fires where the cause is low-quality products or unregulated systems. Awareness of such risks is high among the survey respondents; 75% are aware that e-bike batteries can cause fires, and 48% say headlines on this topic would be a serious deterrent to them owning an e-bike, and a further 33% would be put off to some extent.

Survey respondents were asked about the perceived risks of e-bike use; 48% selected battery fires, followed by the more general cycling concerns of traffic on roads at 38%, and a lack of dedicated cycling infrastructure at 23%.

Improved battery safety measures could bolster the confidence of potential e-bike owners. 51% would pay more than £50 (€58) extra for a battery that presents a significantly lower fire risk, and 34% would find reassurance by battery safety monitoring technology.

E-bike pricing

Retail prices of e-bikes may also present a barrier to wider adoption. There is is something of a gap between expectations and reality; 31% expect a good-quality e-bike to cost less than £1,000 (€1,153), 22% expect a price between £1,000-£2,000 (€1,153-€2,306), while 12% expect a price above £2,000. 35% of respondents said they did not know how much a good quality e-bike should cost.

How to encourage uptake?

The survey results suggest an interest in e-bikes, but that worries around battery safety present an obstacle. These concerns could be addressed through improved technology and clearer communication to help close the knowledge gap in the identification of safe, reputable products.

Nick Bailey, the founder of battery-monitoring technology provider BatteryIQ, said “e-bike batteries involved in fires are generally low-cost, low-quality products lacking basic safety protection, or are bodged-together DIY batteries. Despite fires in good-quality batteries being rare, fears about them are very real and it’s slowing down a major shift toward cleaner, healthier transport. This research shows there is high demand for e-mobility in the UK, but that consumers want reassurance, transparency, and smarter safety technology. BatteryIQ gives riders confidence by monitoring battery health in real time and alerting them to issues before they become dangerous.”