National e-bike safety standards in development

by James Poyner
10th August 2026

AS THE DEBATE continues over the appropriateness and legality of e-mobility devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters, the Federal Government has announced it has instructed the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) to develop a new nationally consistent mandatory safety standard.
This builds on an earlier decision by the Australian Transport Minister to adopt the international safety standard EN 15194 — this states that road-legal e-bikes must:

• Have a motor which is activated by pedalling
• Have a maximum speed of 25km/h when under power
• Only provide a maximum of 250W of continuous power

Currently, there are inconsistencies between the States and Territories regarding what constitutes a road-legal e-bike.
For example, in Victoria, “road-legal” is defined by the 250W EN 15194 standard, but in New South Wales (NSW), road-legal bikes — while still limited to 25km/h and requiring pedal assistance to drive the motor — can have a motor with a 500W output.
However, NSW riders now have until March 1, 2029, to modify or replace their e-bikes to conform to the new 250W standard.
While the ACCC’s new safety standards will apply to all e-mobility devices, the initial phase focuses on e-bikes.
The announcement to develop this new national standard was made by Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King MP, and Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, Andrew Leigh MP on August 6.

“The Albanese Government is continuing to take important steps on cracking down on unsafe and illegal e-rideables on our roads and in our communities,” said Ms King.
This standard will give Australians the confidence that the products being sold are legal, fit for purpose, and will help keep Australians safe.”

This commitment comes after Commonwealth, State, and Territory Consumer Affairs Ministers met on Thursday, July 30, to discuss work being progressed to ensure consumer protections remain fit for purpose in a modern and changing economy.
This includes:

• Recognising the Government’s new laws banning unfair trading practices, including subscription traps and drip pricing, from July 1, 2027, and ongoing consideration of reforms to extend these protections to small businesses and franchisees.
• A $6.6 million investment to strengthen Australia’s product safety framework, including stronger reporting requirements, more effective recalls, tougher penalties, and mandatory safety obligations for online marketplaces, while laying the groundwork for broader product safety reforms.
• Advancing reforms to strengthen consumer guarantees and supplier indemnification arrangements, including the introduction of civil penalties.
• Continuing implementation of the Scam Prevention Framework to better protect Australians from scams and online fraud.
• Exploring additional measures to improve consumer protections in the digital economy, and address emerging risks from new technologies and online marketplaces.

Mr Leigh said “As more Australians choose e-bikes, it’s important that consumers can have confidence in the safety of the products they buy.

“Nationally consistent standards will provide clearer expectations for manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike.”

As the Diary has previously reported, local e-bike conversion business owner Rebecca Lee (RevBecca) of Rev Bikes has been campaigning to overturn the blanket ban on non-factory conversion e-bikes on Victorian trains.
The ban on non-factory e-bikes on Victorian trains is determined by whether the battery is inside or outside the frame.
The ban was introduced following a series of fires on trains caused by lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes.
The Victorian Transport ban broadly identifies that if the battery is incorporated into the frame, then it must meet the required safety standards and will not pose a fire risk.
However, RevBecca has previously pointed out (Freedom Ride, Warrandyte Diary, June 2026) that this penalises e-bike conversion consumers and those with disabilities who have had a custom-converted e-bike or trike made safely by a legitimate business, such as Rev Bikes.
Following the Federal Government’s announcement about the new national standard, the Diary contacted RevBecca for comment.

“Again, they are trying to make something which is already illegal be even more illegal, in the delusional hope that might stop the bad behaviour.
People who are already breaking the (overly conservative) laws are not likely to stop unless these things are being policed and removed from the streets.
We welcome some regulation in the space and would love to see the rogue traders brought to account.
Personally, I don’t understand why the Federal Government doesn’t use its powers to block online traders such as AliExpress, eBay, and Amazon from selling high-powered e-bike conversion kits and unregulated lithium batteries into Australia.
Or close down/fine/shame the businesses that are focusing on this local market.
I do wonder whether conversion kits are going to be banned altogether, another blanket ban like that of carriage on trains.”

RevBecca also expressed concern about the selling of motors greater than 250W as EN 15194 only applies to road-legal bikes, and you can legally ride a bike that exceeds these standards if doing so on private property.
She also flagged concerns about the disability sector, as she has built e-bike and e-trike conversions to assist those with mobility issues.
RevBecca hopes the new standards allow for a level of certification to allow conversion kits to remain a legal option.

“As a business that operates at a high standard in this industry, we are frustrated by the lack of distinction between professional installations of conversion kits.
We would love to be able to certify our batteries to some standard (which Victoria still hasn’t decided upon) and then be classed as safe, as we know our batteries are, and to be able to provide higher speeds for commuters and more power for heavy/disabled people, but the law is lagging behind in Australia.”

She said in Europe there are additional protocols for “Speed Pedelecs” (maximum speed of 45km/h but needs licensing) and Cargo categories allowing for a beefier motor for transporting cargo weighing up to 450kg.
She said Bicycle Industries Australia had previously tried to raise the e-bike limits to 500W and up to 32km/h, “but unfortunately all these 3,000W crazy-machines have ruined the chances of that for everyone”.

“The conversation which needs to be had is about finding the right balance between encouraging uptake, maximising safety (for riders and the community), appropriate motor power levels for different scenarios, and speed limits in different environments.
We need some solutions which are not just the ‘easiest fix’ but will require some regulations, such as licensing or registering vehicles and riders.”

Warrandyte is not isolated from the e-bike debate, and over-powered and dangerously ridden e-bikes and e-motos are becoming increasingly frequent.
The Diary wants to know: will these new mandatory regulations provide consumers with the knowledge and assurance that what they are purchasing is safe and road-legal, or — as RevBecca says — do they only compound the issue for road-legal conversions?
Send your thoughts to editor@warrandytediary.com.au.