NSW will soon require manufacturers and suppliers of e-micro-mobility products – including e-bikes – to adhere to extra safety precautions or face up to $825,000 in fines.
This announcement comes after the death of an e-bike rider earlier this month, who collided with a garbage truck in Sydney’s CBD.
Warning to parents
New safety regulations for e-bikes will come into effect on 1 February, 2026. From that date, all e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards, self-balancing scooters, and the lithium-ion batteries they rely on must be certified safe prior to sale in NSW.
This is in response to the increased market availability of non-compliant products that can be tampered with to breed high-power, high-speed machines.
High numbers of injuries have been sustained for riders, pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers in the chaos that has ensued from the availability of converted e-bikes.
Sydney Children’s Hospital has recorded over 100 e-bike related injuries this year.
Teenagers – often in gangs – on highly modified, hybrid bikes, have been seen riding 60 km/h ‘hot laps’ around towns and cities.
E-bike battery fires
Converted e-bikes are regular pedal bicycles that have been fitted with electric motors and batteries to increase their speed and power. They are more likely to catch fire because of DIY setups, poor wiring, and low-quality, or second-hand parts.
Indeed the 100th recorded e-bike battery fire was sparked this November, causing a Redfern terrace house to be set ablaze.
Legislative change
Prior to this legislative change in NSW e-bikes were allowed to produce 500 watts of power, implying a speed ability of 45 km/h. As of February, 2026 this will be reduced to 200 watts, bringing the state into line with the rest of the country.
‘We’re seeing devices on the market that are far too powerful, too easy to modify, and too hard for parents to assess,’ said Minister for Transport, John Graham.
‘This is about making sure the bike your teenager rides behaves like a bike, not a motorbike.
‘Our message to parents is simple: check the sticker, check the wattage, and have a conversation with your kids about staying safe,’ Mr Graham said.
Lives lost
This year, five lives have been lost in NSW over e-bike related incidents and 13 lives have been lost in Queensland.
‘Right now we’re seeing too many powerful, modified devices that put riders, and everyone around them at risk. These changes are about preventing serious injuries before they happen,’ said Minister for Roads and Regional Transport, Jenny Aitchison.
‘Road safety is a shared responsibility. Government is tightening standards and cleaning up unsafe behaviour, but we need retailers, parents, and riders to help keep our communities safe,’ she said.
E-bikes crushed in clampdown
In response to these growing concerns, police have in some cases, taken to confiscating the bikes of offending riders, and having them crushed. This was the case on the Tweed coast earlier this September, when five teenagers were arrested for reckless driving and exceeding speed limits. The bikes in question were impounded and destroyed.
There have been local reports of police chasing and tackling young e-bike riders. One local parent told The Echo that, ‘ever since the police crushed a local, illegal e-bike, other kids have gone off picking themselves up a similar bike.’
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