VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Electric Bicycles and Electric Scooters: Batteries

Asked by Sarah PochinReform UKDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 21 November 2025UIN 90611

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is taking steps to prevent the sale of high-powered after-market batteries for (a) e-scooters and (b) e-bikes.

Answered by Kate Dearden

Under existing UK regulations, businesses must only place safe products, including batteries for e-bikes and e-scooters, on the market. In 2024, the Department published statutory guidelines for lithium-ion e-bike batteries, clarifying that they must protect against the risk of thermal runaway to be considered safe products. Regulators have powers to enforce these regulations. The Government has now introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, which will enable us to modernise and improve our product safety framework for products sold online and on the high street.

E-bikes must meet legal speed and power limits to be used on the road.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim