A fire that devastated a high-rise property in Coventry in September 2023 was linked to a UPP e-bike battery, according to the consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First. The charity says the fire spread quickly and led to enforcement action that helped see the battery removed from sale via various online distributors1.
A Government withdrawal notice, published online in January 2024, was issued to Amazon, eBay and Alibaba, stating that the UPP battery posed a serious risk of fire1. Models U004 and U004-1 of the triangular-shaped battery are stated to pose a serious risk of fire and a risk of entering thermal runaway, a process in which a battery reaches up to 600 degrees centigrade, releases toxic gases and creates a fire that is almost impossible to extinguish1. The Government warning says these models should not be used as they are dangerous and can cause a serious fire or explosion that spreads rapidly, and which can lead to serious injury or death1.
Electrical Safety First identified seven private listings of the battery with the affected model numbers U004 or U004-1, confirmed either from the model number visible in seller images or through direct confirmation from the seller. Listings of confirmed models were advertised for sale in Greater Manchester, Greater London, Hull, Derbyshire, Southampton, Reading and more1. Serious concerns were raised about 13 further listings showing an identical triangular UPP branded battery where model numbers could not be confirmed; in a follow-up investigation almost one month later the charity found a further six listings where it could identify the model number matching the Government warning1. Meta confirmed it had removed the listings as a precaution after the charity raised its findings with the Office for Product Safety & Standards1.
"We urgently need sellers to check if they are unknowingly passing on a dangerous e-bike battery. A single unit of this affected battery being sold online could put a household at serious risk. It's essential all online marketplaces and businesses proactively engage with the published Government warning."
The charity says the battery is distinctively triangular in shape and often carries stickers reading "UPPBATTERY" and/or "U004 BATTERY", with an LED display or indicator, a power switch and a charge socket. A black sticker on one outer side often displays the model number1. Government advice suggests those with the battery dispose of it safely by first checking with local collection sites to ensure they cater for battery disposal1.
Why it matters for households
The affected units are e-bike batteries rather than home storage systems, but the failure mode described is the same one that governs lithium battery safety and recalls for any lithium pack kept in a home. Thermal runaway at up to 600 degrees centigrade, with toxic gases and a fire that is almost impossible to extinguish, is the risk that shapes home battery fire safety guidance on siting, containment and what fire services can realistically do1.
For a household, the practical consequence is that a battery bought second-hand or through a marketplace listing may carry no verifiable safety certification. Electrical Safety First says manufacturers can currently self-declare their batteries as safe, and that it wants this to end1. A battery that has already been withdrawn by government can still change hands privately, which means the safety record of a unit in a home may not be knowable from the point of sale. The charity's findings sit alongside its wider work on battery recalls and safety notices, which covers how affected models are identified and what a notice covers.
What happens next
The Government's Product Regulation & Metrology Bill is progressing through the House of Commons, with Electrical Safety First calling for new laws to prevent substandard batteries coming onto the market and being available online1. The charity is urging the Government to mandate that e-bike batteries must be independently certified as safe before being sold in the UK1. No date has been reported for when the Bill will complete its passage or for any further enforcement action on the UPP models.
Sources1 cited
- Dangerous product risking fire found for sale across the UK - How to spot one, electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk