It's a common misconception that electric cars are the main lithium-ion fire risk. In reality, the everyday devices are the bigger problem. Reporting on Fire and Rescue NSW data found that e-mobility devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters were the single largest category of lithium-ion battery fires attended in the 2024/2025 period — ahead of cars, laptops and chargers (NRMA, 2026).

The reasons are structural. These devices are bought across a huge price range, charged indoors in homes and workplaces, often left on charge overnight, and frequently paired with replacement batteries or chargers of uncertain quality. That combination is exactly where lithium-ion fires tend to start.

01Buy and charge with care

Fire and Rescue NSW (n.d.) recommends choosing batteries and chargers from reputable manufacturers, looking for the appropriate approval marks on the product itself, and making sure the charger actually matches the device. For e-bikes specifically, devices built to AS/NZS 15194:2018 (Standards Australia, 2018) meet a recognised electrical safety baseline. Avoid mismatched "universal" chargers and unbranded replacement batteries, which are a leading contributor to micromobility fires.

02Charge in the right place

The cardinal rule for micromobility is simple: never charge across your escape route. A battery that fails in a hallway, doorway or stairwell can cut off the way out. Charge on a hard, non-flammable surface, away from beds, sofas and exits, and don't leave devices charging unattended overnight (Fire and Rescue NSW, n.d.). In a workplace, that means a designated charging area — ideally not in a corridor or near the only exit.

03Equipment sized for the device

Micromobility doesn't need car-scale equipment, but it does need the right scale. A EV Fire Extinguisher 1L (E-Bike & E-Scooter) is compact enough to keep near a charging point and rated to cool a small lithium-ion fire early. A EV Fire Blanket (E-Bike & E-Scooter) lets you cover a venting device to contain flame and smoke. Our EV Fire Safety Bundle — 1L Extinguisher + E-Blanket pairs the two at a saving, which is the most practical single purchase for a home or small business that charges these devices.

04Storage and the off-season

Batteries don't only fail while charging. Damaged or ageing cells can fail in storage too. For spare batteries, or a device you suspect has been knocked about, a Premium Battery Fireproof Bag provides a fire-resistant place to isolate the battery away from anything flammable. It's a small step that contains a problem before it can spread to a room.

Gear up at our e-bike & e-scooter fire safety collection, or read about strata and apartment fire safety if your building shares charging spaces.