E-Mobility Battery Fires: Can London Learn from New York’s Battle?

Table of Contents:

• New York’s Battle Against Lithium-Ion Battery Fires
• London’s Steep Rise in Incidents
• Gaps in the UK Response
• UK Metrology Act: Is It Enough?
• Time for Decisive Action

Lithium-ion battery fires have become one of the fastest-growing fire risks in both New York and London. In dense urban housing they pose a particular threat, spreading rapidly through flats and stairwells, trapping residents inside to devastating consequences. 

Delivery workers relying on e-bikes and scooters, means that unsafe batteries and chargers were everywhere, across both cities. However, NYC has taken strong action and seen significant progress in their battle against battery fire risk, with a huge 67% fatality decrease. 

So, just what did NYC do and can London learn from any of their actions?

New York’s Battle Against Lithium-Ion Battery Fires

Since 2021, the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) has raised urgent concerns about the dangers of unsafe batteries and chargers, particularly in e-bikes and e-scooters widely used by delivery workers. In 2023 the city recorded 18 deaths from lithium-ion fires. The following year, after a forceful response by City Hall and FDNY, fatalities fell by 67% to six fatalities. 

Commissioner Robert S. Tucker described the situation in the March 2025 briefing as a crisis that left the department and City Hall with no choice but to act. Their battle has combined enforcement, education and infrastructure:

• Enforcement

The FDNY Lithium-Ion Battery Task Force inspected 585 e-bike shops in 2024, a 25% increase on the previous year. They issued 426 FDNY summonses, 138 violation orders, 32 criminal summonses and seven vacate orders, in partnership with the Department of Buildings. Thousands of unsafe batteries and chargers were seized.

• Education

A $1 million citywide safety campaign, backed by 3,160 presentations and outreach to over half a million New Yorkers, reinforced the risks of indoor charging and promoted safer practices. The department reports a notable shift, with 133 fires in 2024 occurring outdoors compared with 90 in 2023, a sign that residents are heeding the advice to store and charge devices outside.

• Infrastructure and Codes

Updated fire code rules introduced safety standards for charging rooms and residential buildings, while outdoor charging hubs gave riders safer alternatives.

Although the total number of lithium-ion fires rose slightly (268 in 2023 to 277 in 2024), this uptick occurred in the context of a sharp rise in e-mobility usage—for example, Citi Bike trips climbed by 25%, with e-bikes now making up one-third of the fleet but accounting for two-thirds of all trips. This means that despite the increased exposure, the 67% drop in fatalities is even more striking, highlighting the effectiveness of systematic inspection, stronger codes, and intensive public engagement.

You can read the full FDNY briefing here.

London’s Steep Rise in Incidents

London faces the same risk profile as NYC, without some of the same action. 

London Fire Brigade (LFB) responded to 407 e-bike and e-scooter fires in 2024, more than quadruple the figure in 2020. By May 2025, 167 incidents had already been recorded, putting the city on track for its worst year yet, with over 500 incidents projected. March and April 2025 each saw 47 fires, the highest monthly totals ever recorded. 

You can find out more about the LFB E-Mobility Device Fire Data, 2025, here.

Behind these numbers are fires breaking out in flats, communal areas and stairwells, often blocking escape routes and leading to injury, serious damage and death. Most fires ignite during charging, often with low-quality or incompatible chargers, or in devices that have been retrofitted with cheap online conversion kits.

The food delivery sector has become a key risk area here too, with many riders using illegally modified e-bikes. In 2024, City of London Police seized nearly 300 such bikes, mostly linked to delivery riders. 

These are the same conditions that fuelled the crisis in New York: unsafe imports, modified batteries and high reliance on e-bikes, but London does not yet have the enforcement powers or coordinated response seen in NYC.

Gaps in the UK Response

Unlike FDNY, London Fire Brigade lacks mandate to inspect, seize or ban all unsafe products. Responsibility for product safety regulation sits at national level, split between Trading Standards, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and local councils, none with the current resources for systematic sweeps. 

While OPSS has issued warnings and the government launched the ‘Buy Safe, Be Safe’ campaign, there has been no outright ban on uncertified imports or refurbished packs. Education efforts, including the LFB’s #ChargeSafe campaign, are valuable but inconsistent across boroughs. 

Infrastructure remains limited to a handful of pilots, while housing providers continue to report charging in flats, stairwells and hallways, where the risk to residents is greatest. Secure, external charging and storage infrastructure, such as solutions developed by metroSTOR, offers one practical step housing providers can take now to reduce fire risk and protect means of escape while national regulation catches up.

UK Metrology Act: Is It Enough?

The UK has taken a promising step forward with the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in July 2025. The Act gives the Secretary of State powers to introduce new product safety rules, with scope to address risks from lithium-ion batteries. This includes controls on product marking, online marketplace responsibilities, stronger enforcement and better data sharing between regulators.

Nonetheless, despite this legislative advancement, critics argue it remains a framework law and lacks explicit references to lithium-ion batteries or e‑mobility devices. MP, Clive Jones, noted that the bill contains “no reference in the bill to lithium‑ion batteries, despite the real and growing harm they cause”, while government officials point out such specificity is to come via future regulations.

The key question, then, is whether these enabling powers will translate into regulations that can match, if not exceed, the urgency and effectiveness seen in New York’s multifaceted response. That urgency is heightened by the fact that thousands of defective or modified devices are already in circulation, being stored and charged in people’s homes every day.

Time for Decisive Action

New York has shown that decisive, local action combining enforcement, infrastructure and education, can turn the tide in the battle against lithium-ion battery fires.

Incident numbers in London and across the wider UK, show a sustained and dangerous rise that is already outpacing response systems. Stronger regulatory powers, systematic enforcement and investment in safe storage and charging infrastructure will be vital for staying ahead of the curve.