EBay will clamp down on the sale of e-bikes and e-bike batteries within the UK from 31 October, the BBC has discovered.
The agency says that solely “eligible enterprise sellers” will probably be allowed to checklist them after this date.
It didn’t clarify what the mandatory standards can be.
E-bikes, which have electrically-assisted pedals and are battery-powered, have soared in recognition, however incidents involving battery fires have additionally risen.
The London Fire Brigade recently said it recorded 155 e-bike fires in 2023, up by 78% from the earlier 12 months.
The brigade warned e-bike customers to test their batteries after battery packs had been formally classed as “harmful” merchandise by the UK’s regulatory physique.
In June, a coroner also called for government action after the loss of life of a person whose dwelling caught fireplace when an e-bike battery pack he was charging overheated and ignited.
“Client security is a prime precedence for eBay,” an eBay spokesperson mentioned on Tuesday.
Earlier this 12 months, it mentioned it might additionally audit sellers to verify that they had the CE mark for security documentation for listed e-bike merchandise.
A fast have a look at the eBay platform reveals practically 3,000 used e-bikes at the moment on the market within the UK.
The charity Electrical Security First mentioned it welcomed the agency’s change in coverage.
But it surely advised that new legal guidelines had been additionally wanted due to the hearth security dangers posed by the automobiles.
“While this voluntary transfer is welcome, we proceed to name for on-line marketplaces to be legally obligated to take cheap steps to make sure merchandise offered through their websites are protected,” mentioned a spokesperson.
The Product Regulation and Metrology Invoice, which is at the moment making its method by means of Parliament, might doubtlessly implement this in future.
