Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Jane Dalton

The ‘substandard’ e-bike batteries posing life-threatening risks

  • A man died in a fire at his Bradford home, believed to be caused by a faulty lithium-ion battery from an e-bike conversion kit charging overnight.
  • The coroner investigating the death of Mohsin Janjua, 28, concluded the fire was likely due to a "catastrophic failure" of a battery purchased from eBay.
  • Test purchases revealed that batteries and chargers from online marketplaces often fail to meet UK safety standards, prompting the coroner to urge the government to reassess laws.
  • The coroner also called for online marketplaces to be held jointly responsible for the safety and legal compliance of products sold by third parties on their sites.
  • A charity, Electrical Safety First, has warned that substandard batteries sold online pose a significant risk, advocating for third-party certification for e-bikes and stricter rules on conversion kits.

IN FULL

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.