The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has issued withdrawal notices to four online marketplaces requiring them to stop selling a "dangerous" e-bike battery manufactured by a company called UPP (Unit Pack Power).
Consumers are also being advised not to use the triangle-shaped U004 frame battery which the OPSS said has been linked to a number of fires across England, and to contact the seller for further redress.
UPP’s e-bike battery, sold via Amazon, AliBaba, eBay and Made in China, presents a “serious risk of fire,” said the OPSS, as it is “poorly built with poor welding to connect the components. The product also did not have a heat sensor to prevent overheating, with the battery management system not sufficient to prevent the battery from entering thermal runaway.”
> Are e-bike batteries safe? What’s the difference between a safe battery and a fire risk?
The product does not meet the requirements of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, the OPSS added.
The regulator has issued withdrawal notices to distributors requiring that the product is removed from sale. It has also issued a withdrawal notice to 20 sellers directly and also to the China-based manufacturer.
> Potentially dangerous e-bike chargers again found on sale on Amazon and eBay
Graham Russell, chief executive of OPSS, said: “We consider these UPP batteries to be dangerous, and that is why we are taking this action to stop them being supplied.
"Consumers need to be aware of the risk of these batteries failing, and the potential fatal consequences that can occur. If anyone owns one, they should not use it and contact the seller for redress.”
> E-bike safety: What to avoid when buying an e-bike, battery or charger
In December, the OPSS issued an ‘Important Safety Message’ aimed at those looking at buying an e-bike or e-scooter. Recommended steps include only buying from a known seller, always following the manufacturer’s instructions, only using the manufacturer’s recommended battery or charger, always charging in a safe place, and never attempting to modify or tamper with a battery.
However, a petition on change.org is urging the OPSS to implement stricter regulations on e-bikes, e-scooters, and the batteries and chargers sold with them, as well as calling for stricter enforcement of quality control and standards.
Backed by the London Fire Brigade and Electrical Safety First (ESF), it was set up by the family of 21-year-old Sofia Duarte who died last year in a fire believed to have been caused by a converted e-bike’s battery bursting into flames.
