Fire brigades attended 279 electric car blazes last year

As electric cars become more commonplace, the number of fire incidents is also rising.

Fire brigades across the UK attended 279 electric car blazes last year, up 133 per cent from the 120 cases recorded in 2022, a new report shows.

Experts warn when electric cars and their batteries do catch fire, putting them out takes far longer than for a blaze involving a combustion‑engined vehicle.

‘Thermal runaway caused by these types of batteries burns differently, takes much longer to tackle and can require up to ten times more water to contain,’ explains Adrian Simmonds, a risk manager at QBE Insurance, who compiled the study.

However, the data also show that the number of blazes is increasing at a slower pace than the growth in the number of electric cars on the road – and that such fires remain extremely uncommon.

Between the end of 2022 and 2025, EV registrations more than tripled (up 203 per cent), increasing from 664,150 battery‑powered passenger cars to around two million. 

As a result, the fires that did occur impacted fewer than 0.02 per cent of the nation’s electric car parc.

Greater concern, however, surrounds the rapid rise in e‑bike fires, which have jumped by almost 250 per cent over the same three‑year period.

Fire brigades attended 279 electric car blazes last year. Although extremely rare – impacting fewer than 0.02% of the 2m EVs on the road – they are notoriously hard to put out

QBE Insurance issued freedom of information requests to all 49 UK fire services, receiving responses from 42.

The data covers three types of EV: cars, bikes and e‑scooters.

Emergency services revealed they are now tackling a lithium‑ion battery fire once every five hours – equivalent to 4.8 fires a day – as incidents across all three vehicle types rose by 147 per cent since 2022, reaching 1,760 cases in the previous calendar year.

By comparison, in 2022 fire brigades dealt with the equivalent of two lithium‑ion fires a day.

E‑bikes accounted for almost a third of these incidents (520 fires), the data shows.

Of these, 44 per cent were attended by the London Fire Brigade, with 230 e‑bike fires recorded in the capital last year.

Where fire services recorded the information, converted or retrofitted e‑bikes were involved more frequently than officially manufactured models – a finding QBE Insurance says ‘reinforces the importance of purchasing certified products from reputable retailers’.

In terms of where EV fires occurred, almost half (46 per cent) took place in people’s homes, while 31 per cent happened outdoors and nearly a quarter (23 per cent) were recorded in commercial properties.

The report follows a series of electric car recalls by major automotive manufacturers.

In February, Volvo launched a recall for around 10,500 EX30 SUVs in the UK – and 40,000 globally – over concerns relating to battery fires. Owners were advised not to charge their vehicles indoors or under cover, and to limit charging to 70 per cent to reduce the risk of blazes.

In March, Volkswagen called back more than 100,000 ID.3 and Cupra Born electric hatchbacks worldwide for repairs over concerns that battery module faults could trigger fires, though only 2,261 UK drivers were affected.

However, recalls have also been issued in recent months over concerns related to conventional combustion engine fires.

In August, European vehicle manufacturing giant Stellantis recalled 72,000 UK vehicles fitted with 1.2‑litre mild‑hybrid petrol engines. 

Some 28 models across brands including Alfa Romeo, Citroen, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot and Vauxhall were affected.

Lithium‑ion battery fires are typically extremely difficult to extinguish.

Thermal runaway – the chemical reaction in which batteries irreversibly overheat, usually due to impact damage, overcharging or overheating – is unpredictable. 

Once a fire begins, it can spread faster and take significantly longer to control than a conventional vehicle fire, increasing the risk of injury and property damage.

Simmonds says lithium‑ion battery fires ‘continue to increase’, making it ‘vital’ that individuals and businesses take steps to better manage the growing risk.

‘Awareness of safe charging, storage and disposal is essential to keeping people and property safe,’ he says. ‘People should use only certified e‑bikes and batteries, charge them away from escape routes and avoid charging items overnight.

‘The statistics suggest retrofitted bikes are more prone to these incidents, so we would encourage consumers to stick with reputable manufacturers and avoid unregulated devices.’

London Fire Brigade recorded the highest number of lithium‑ion battery fires in 2025, with 522 incidents – nearly a third of the national total.

This was followed by West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, which reported 126 lithium‑ion battery fires, and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, which attended 117.

Bedfordshire and Luton Fire and Rescue Service was the only authority to report a year‑on‑year reduction in lithium‑ion fires, coinciding with updated e‑bike and e‑scooter safety guidance issued in 2023.

Despite some positive regional trends, lithium‑ion battery fires are still rising at a significant rate nationwide, underlining the need for improved prevention measures.

In July, the UK government granted royal assent to the Product Regulation and Metrology Act, designed to overhaul product safety rules and address emerging risks linked to uncertified goods – including e‑bikes sold via online marketplaces.