eBay is about to ban the sale of e-bikes and their batteries by non-public people within the UK from 31 October, citing rising considerations over battery fires.
From this date, solely “eligible business sellers” shall be permitted to record this stuff, although the corporate has not but clarified the precise standards for eligibility.
E-bikes, which use battery-powered pedals, have turn into more and more in style, however the surge in utilization has coincided with a pointy rise in incidents involving battery fires. The London Fireplace Brigade recorded 155 e-bike fires in 2023, a 78% enhance from the earlier yr. This rise has led to warnings from security authorities, with e-bike battery packs being formally classed as “dangerous” merchandise by UK regulators.
In June, a coroner known as for presidency motion after a deadly hearth attributable to an overheating e-bike battery pack. These incidents have intensified scrutiny of e-bike security requirements.
“Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay,” a spokesperson for the platform mentioned. Earlier this yr, eBay introduced plans to audit sellers to make sure their merchandise carry the required CE security documentation.
The change has been welcomed by security advocates. Electrical Security First, a UK charity, praised eBay’s determination however known as for extra strong authorized frameworks to make sure that all merchandise offered on-line meet security requirements. “Whilst this voluntary move is welcome, we continue to call for online marketplaces to be legally obligated to take reasonable steps to ensure products sold via their sites are safe,” mentioned a spokesperson.
The UK’s Product Regulation and Metrology Invoice, which is progressing by Parliament, may set up such authorized obligations sooner or later, offering an extra safeguard towards the dangers posed by unsafe e-bike batteries.
