Companies and organisations including Transport for London (TfL) are preparing to ban staff from bringing e-bikes to work after a surge in serious fires caused by faulty batteries.

TfL’s ban, which could take effect by autumn, would also stop members of the public taking e-bikes on London Overground trains, which carried 157 million passengers in 2023, and presently allow all bikes to be carried on board. TfL sources suggested that an exemption for foldable Brompton bikes, which are manufactured in Britain under strict regulations, might be considered.

Workplace restrictions on e-bikes, which cost from £600 to as much as £10,000, could make them less attractive for commuters if they are not easily able to park them securely during the working day.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it attended 143 e-bike fires last year, along with 36 blazes involving e-scooters, leading to three deaths and 60 injuries. In the year to July 15 there have been 82 e-bike fires and 14 e-scooter fires with 35 injuries but no fatalities. LFB said most e-bike fires began in people’s homes, followed by fires on the road and then in non-residential premises. It was unable to say which types of e-bikes or brands of battery were most frequently found to be at fault because the “severity of the fires” made them difficult to identify.