This video gives pause for thought about the dangers of having electric vehicles inside the house even when not being charged.

This electric cycle caught fire after being left in the hallway of a property in Freiburg, in Germany.

The bike is a model of the type that has an electric motor inside in order to provide extra power to whoever was peddling, and in the middle of the night, had caught fire even though it was not on charge.

Police said: “Rescue workers were quickly on site, and the burning bike was quickly carried out of the house. The pedelec was a total write off.

“The stairwell was filled with heavy smoke so that it had to be ventilated. But thanks to the rapid intervention of the fire brigade and the favorable fact that nothing flammable was within reach of the fire, the fire did not break out to any major extent.

“Nevertheless, one resident had to seek medical treatment on suspicion of smoke inhalation. It is not yet clear how the pedelec, which was not attached to a charger, started to burn.

“At the moment it looks as if signs of wear or a defect in the cable routing could have caused the fire to break out. Police investigations are continuing.”