An electric tricycle burst into flames while parked outside Buckingham Palace.
Video posted on social media showed firefighters extinguishing a blaze on Spur Road in central London at around 12.42pm on Saturday.
One person who posted a video of the incident on X said an “explosion” was heard as the vehicle caught fire.
After the fire was extinguished, the charred remains of what appeared to be a tricycle and its frame were seen.
It is believed that the electric vehicle was used to tow a rickshaw or a three-wheeler.
The Metropolitan Police said the fire was not believed to be suspicious or intentional and the incident was over quickly.
The fire is believed to have started inside the electric car battery.
As e-bikes and e-scooters become more widely used in London and other cities, fires are becoming more common.
Most fires involving them occur in homes while their batteries are charging.
The London Fire Brigade says that by 2023, there will be an average of one e-bike or e-scooter fire alarm every two days. The brigade said the risk of fire increases when unsafe or damaged batteries are charged.
In July last year, a man died when an e-bike caught fire at a property in Kentish Town, north London.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Police were called at 12.43pm on Saturday 30 March to reports of a fire involving a tricycle on Spur Road, SW1.
“The road was closed while London Fire Brigade responded. No injuries were reported.
“The fire is not believed to be suspicious or intentional.”
