NSW will impose tougher standards on e-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards after an alarming jump in the number of dangerous blazes.

Lithium-ion battery-related fires, including those caused by low-quality batteries in e-mobility devices, are the fastest-growing type of fires in NSW, with one every four days this year, the state government said.

In one blaze north of Sydney in March, two people died after a battery exploded.

Meanwhile, in July a coroner found a Queensland man died from burns to most of his body after a lithium-ion battery fire erupted in an e-scooter connected to an incompatible charger in 2022.

In October last year, two backpackers in a Darlinghurst hostel were lucky to escape when a faulty lithium-ion battery on a charging e-bike sparked an enormous blaze.

“We’re acting ahead of other jurisdictions because unregulated products are posing a huge risk to property and in some cases, lives,” NSW Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said on Thursday.

Under rules from February 2025, products sold in NSW will have to meet internationally accepted product standards and be appropriately tested and certified before they enter the market.

Testing, certification and labelling requirements will be introduced in a staged process.

There has been a rapid rise in the popularity of e-mobility devices, with a four-fold jump in sales in NSW between 2020 and 2022.

Lithium-ion batteries, particularly poor-quality ones, are susceptible to uncontrolled thermal runaway events, which occur when the temperature in the batteries increases faster than the energy can be dispersed to its surroundings.

The high temperature causes the battery to decompose, creating more heat and ultimately leading to an explosion of flammable gas.

The disposal of lithium-ion batteries has also caused havoc for waste companies, with fires in rubbish and recycling trucks when wrongly disposed-of batteries are crushed.

Industry peak bodies, manufacturers, retailers and consumer groups were consulted over the tougher standards.

“E-bikes and e-scooters are fantastic mobility solutions for many people in NSW, improving health, reducing congestion and harmful tailpipe emissions, in many cases, they are faster to get to work and school and most importantly they are fun,” Bicycle Industries Australia general manager Peter Bourke said.

“The vast majority of products on the market are safe, utilising similar battery cells to laptops and phones and Bicycle Industries Australia supports the direction of the NSW minister to ensure that all products meet the required quality standards.”

Sellers of devices such as e-bikes or e-scooters in NSW who breach the stringent standards will face penalties of up to $825,000.

-with AAP