E-bike safety, by the numbers.
As e-bike ownership has surged, so have injuries, fires, and recalls. We pulled the most reliable public data — from the CPSC, the FDNY, peer-reviewed research, and the US Department of Energy — into one place. Every figure below is sourced, and you're free to cite it.
Last updated July 2026 · Data current through 2024–2025
59,200
Estimated US emergency-room visits for e-bike injuries in 2024
Source: CPSC
277
Lithium-ion battery fires in New York City in 2024
Source: FDNY
~1.1M
E-bikes sold in the US in 2022 — roughly 4× the 2019 total
Source: US Dept. of Energy
31×
Growth in US e-bike ER visits from 2017 (751) to 2022 (23,493)
Source: JAMA Surgery
Injuries
E-bike ER visits are climbing fast.
A JAMA Surgery analysis of federal injury data found US emergency-department visits for e-bike injuries rose from 751 in 2017 to 23,493 in 2022. The CPSC's own estimates put 2024 near 59,200. The two series use different methods, so read them as parallel signals of the same trend, not identical measurements. For what this means after a crash, see our e-bike accidents guide.
| Year | Est. US e-bike ER visits | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 751 | JAMA Surgery (CPSC NEISS data) |
| 2022 | 23,493 | JAMA Surgery (CPSC NEISS data) |
| 2022 | ~26,800 | CPSC estimate |
| 2024 | ~59,200 | CPSC estimate |
CPSC also reported that injuries across all micromobility products (e-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards) rose nearly 21% in 2022 versus 2021.
Battery fires
New York City is the clearest window into battery fires.
No agency tracks lithium-ion battery fires as closely as the FDNY. Fires held roughly steady from 2023 to 2024, while deaths fell sharply — which the department credits to enforcement, public education, and safer-battery rules. Learn how to keep your own pack safe in our battery-fire prevention guide.
| Metric (New York City) | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium-ion battery fires | 268 | 277 |
| Deaths | 18 | 6 |
Source: FDNY. Figures are for New York City only.
Recalls
Recalls are frequent — and worth checking before you ride.
Independent tallies of the CPSC recall database count at least 30 e-bike recalls covering 230,000+ units since the first in 2014 — spanning both fire hazards and mechanical defects like brakes. The CPSC does not publish an official running total, so treat that as a compiled estimate; the individual recalls below each link to their primary CPSC notice. Always confirm your exact model against the CPSC recall database.
Why the numbers are rising
More riders, more incidents.
Much of the increase tracks adoption. The US Department of Energy reported about 1.1 million e-bikes sold in 2022 — roughly four times the 2019 total. More bikes on the road means more crashes, more batteries in homes, and a larger installed base exposed to recalls.
That's the honest read of this data: e-bikes are not uniquely dangerous, but rapid growth has outpaced rider education and battery standards. The fixes are known — certified batteries, correct helmets, and knowing your local rules. Start with the e-bike laws in your state and our helmet safety guide.
For journalists & researchers
Free to cite. Just credit us.
You're welcome to reference these figures in your reporting or research. We ask only that you cite the original agency for each statistic (listed below) and link back to this page as your secondary source.
Suggested citation
ElectricBikes.com, “E-Bike Safety Statistics (2026),” https://www.electricbikes.com/ebike-safety-statistics
Sources & methodology
Where every number comes from.
We only publish figures we can trace to a primary source. Injury and recall data come from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and a peer-reviewed JAMA Surgery analysis of its NEISS database; fire and death counts come from the FDNY; sales figures come from the US Department of Energy. Estimates are labeled as such, and different agencies' methods are not always directly comparable.
- FDNY — Progress against lithium-ion battery fires (NYC fire & death counts, 2023–2024)
- CPSC — Micromobility Products-Related Deaths, Injuries and Hazard Patterns (2017–2024)
- CPSC — E-Scooter and E-Bike Injuries Soar: 2022 injuries increased nearly 21%
- US Department of Energy — E-bike sales in the US exceeded one million in 2022 (FOTW #1321)
- CPSC — Micromobility Information Center (recall database & safety guidance)
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