Towards safe and legal e-bikes in NSW

When e-bikes first arrived on the Australian market over 20 years ago, their motors meant they were effectively vehicles. To operate any vehicle, registration, a licence and insurance are required.

However, it was recognised that many e-bike models were low-powered and more like a bicycle than a motorbike.

Australia landed on an e-bike regulation that is aligned with the best-practice global standard EN-15194. The power is limited. The motor must be pedal-assisted and cut out after 25km/h. Electrical safety and roadworthy-ness is assured. Anti-tampering provisions prevent the power and speed limitations being altered by sellers or owners.

“This is a good compromise,” says CEO Peter McLean. “EN-15194 allows compliant e-bikes to be used as a bicycle, on bicycle infrastructure, by people of all ages wearing a standard bicycle helmet, without any need for registration or licensing or age limits.

“Many of our members are increasingly concerned but the number of illegal devices on the cycleways. It is no fun to share bike paths with fast, heavy illegal motorbikes steered by unskilled riders.

"Reinstating EN-15194 will help everyone - politicians, consumers, retailers, community members and the police - draw a clear line between an e-bike and an illegal electric motorbike.”

Bicycle NSW doesn’t support imposing age limits for the use of safe, legal EN-15194 e-bikes. These e-bikes handle like a bicycle and have a low power and a maximum assisted speed of 25km/h. They are suitable for teenagers. 

We do not want to lock out an entire age bracket from the opportunity to use e-bikes as a legitimate and practical form of transportation, gaining independence in a way that lowers congestion on the roads and reduces the environmental impact of our community.

A review led by Transport for NSW is now underway. We expect that a legal minimum age between 12 and 16 will be introduced for riding an e-bike in NSW, as well as rules around carrying passengers.  

We will strongly advocate for any minimum age to be as low as possible. Compliant EN-15194 e-bikes are safe for use by young people under the age of 16 years old. E-bikes provide incredible independence for travel to school, sport and first jobs and should be accessible to all high school students.

NSW increased the maximum continued rated power to 500W (from 250W) just 3 years ago in early 2023. The previous government did this with good intent as more powerful motors would assist riders in hilly areas, e-cargo bikes with loads and those with restricted mobility.

However, the increase in power also contributed to loopholes. Grey areas in the definition led to a wave of high-powered bikes that behave more like electric motorbikes than pedal-assisted bicycles. These devices can be unsafe for children and difficult for parents and police to manage. They do not integrate well with bicycle infrastructure.

The return to 250W would bring the NSW regulations back in line with the other Australian states, and draw a clearer line between legal e-bikes and illegal devices.

This change also aligns with important national action. On 21 November 2025, the Australian Government committed to reinstating e-bike import requirements to meet the European safety and quality standard, EN-15194. This was reintroduced one month later. This sets the 250W and 25km/h limits, ensures safe electrical systems and mechanical components, and includes an anti-tampering provision to prevent the power and speed limitations being altered by sellers or owners.

We recommend checking with your retailer or the bike's manufacturer. You can also look for a compliance sticker on the frame of the bike which clarifies the power and the maximum speed. The photos above show some examples.

The majority of quality e-bikes sold in NSW are rated at 250W. Most of the e-bikes manufactured for the Australian and global markets meet EN-15194 which establishes the 250W maximum continued rated power of the motor. Only NSW has a 500W limit. Very few products have been developed for such a small market.

Note that an e-bike's model number may include higher numbers (eg 500, 580, 750, 1000). This causes confusion. In many cases, these numbers actually refer to the battery capacity, which is measured in Wh (watt-hours). A higher Wh rating indicates greater energy storage capacity and longer range. This is different from the motor output which is measured in watts.

E-bike compliance stickers have not been a legal requirement in NSW for a while so not all e-bikes have a sticker.

We will strongly advocate for a compliance program to address the thousands of compliant e-bikes which haven't been given an EN-15194 sticker or may not be certified due to a non-power related technicality.

From March 2026, NSW will adopt EN-15194. In conjunction with the Commonwealth action to re-insert EN15194:2017 into the definition of an e-bike in the Australian Design Rules, it will be significantly more difficult to import or sell non-compliant devices in NSW.

A three-year transition period will then begin for existing e-bikes that were compliant with NSW rules when purchased. 

From 1 March 2029, only e-bikes meeting the European standard will be road legal in NSW.

We are pleased that a three-year transition period has been announced. This should be adequate for most of our impacted Members.

However, we will continue to monitor the fine tuning and enforcement of the regulations. We don’t want a broad regulatory response to unintentionally penalise responsible riders. And we are aware that many riders of illegal devices are low paid workers who need time to switch to a compliant e-bike.

“E-bikes are a very affordable, convenient and sustainable transportation mode,” says Peter McLean. “Bicycle NSW is passionate about seeing a rapid decline in illegal devices and a greater uptake of EN-15194 e-bikes. This will help make our streets safer and more inclusive.”

Nothing is perfect.  However, EN-15194 e-bikes have anti-tampering software which make them much more difficult to modify. There will always be work-arounds but if there are appropriate fines in place then e-bike modifications will be significantly minimised.

No, this is very unlikely.

Many low-quality non-complaint devices do not have long lifespans. A three-year transition period is practical and provides households, retailers and manufacturers with certainty and time to adjust. 

There are not too many 500W e-bikes which comply with all other NSW regulations as few products have been developed for the small NSW market.

However, we will continue discussing the details of the regulations with the NSW Government to ensure that responsible riders are not unfairly penalised.

We are building a database of affected e-bikes owned by Members so we can advocate effectively on your behalf. Please send Bicycle NSW the e-bike model name and number, or complete our Google Form. 

Most of the e-bikes manufactured for the Australian and global markets meet EN-15194 which establishes the 250W maximum continued rated power of the motor.

This includes many heavy e-cargo bikes and powerful e-MTBs. These are very capable of carrying passengers and loads up steep hills - but rider effort is required.

Note that 250W is the maximum continued rated power. Short bursts of higher power are permitted. The torque of the motor and the gearing also affect performance. Quality e-bikes have a high torque rating and low gears.

Some manufacturers took advantage of the 500W rules to sell very heavy ‘fat bikes’, or bikes with cheaper rear hub motors. Many of these bikes do struggle on hills without modifying the power. We hope that innovative designers will quickly develop EN-15194 compliant models with the look and feel that some consumers want.

“E-bikes are meant to perform like bicycles, not motorbikes,” says CEO Peter McLean. “Riders who want to go fast uphill without pedalling will need to look into buying a motorbike, with the associated training, licensing, insurances and registration!”

On 9 Feb 2026, a NSW Government press release announced that NSW Police will have stronger powers to seize and crush devices bikes that do not meet the legal definition of an e-bike.

There is no detail at this stage on how the seizure laws will work in practice. However, the focus is on removing dangerous high-powered devices, the type that ride more like motorbikes than bicycles, from public road-related areas.

While Bicycle NSW believes that confiscating high-powered illegal devices will help to deter irresponsible behaviour and improve safety for riders and other road users, it'll take too much time from an already over-stretched police force, and won't work as a standalone policy.

In transitioning to the new standard, we must focus on education, awareness and accurate, clear communications to riders, parents and retailers.  

To reduce risk of seizure and fines for a 500W e-bike during the 3-year transition period, all e-bike riders must ensure that the throttle is not unlocked and the motor is set to cut out at 25km/h. 

Bicycle NSW will continue to work with local councils and schools to roll-out ther Bicycle NSW Student Education Programme, an online learning resource that is designed to encourage safe and responsible riding.

We have sought Transport for NSW’s support in developing the program more widely across the state. We await the NSW Government's response to our proposals, and more details on how community and student education will be addressed going forward. 

No. Bicycle NSW doesn't see registration or licensing as a suitable option for legal e-bikes. 

Pedal-assisted e-bikes that comply with the NSW regulations and the best-practice global standard EN15194 have a low-powered motor that cuts out after 25km/h. 

These e-bikes can be safely used on bicycle infrastructure, by people of all ages wearing a standard bicycle helmet. Registration, licensing and age restrictions are not required.

Calls for registration are usually focused on high-powered, often modified, electric bikes. But these devices should not be used on roads, footpaths and bike paths in the first place.

Requiring registration plates or a licence for EN 15194 e-bikes would create significant barriers for people who rely on cycling for everyday transport. It would disadvantage young people, international students, people who ride infrequently, visitors to NSW, and people who can’t obtain a licence due to disability or medical conditions.

Additionally, we know that the administration of registration and licensing would be extremely expensive to government, as set out in an internal RTA review in 2011. This review confirmed the NSW Government's position that safe and legal cycling should remain free of government fees and charges. It would add significant administrative and enforcement workload for police while doing nothing to regulate unsafe devices at their source – which is import and sales.

Bicycle NSW could see a value in the future of establishing different e-bike classes, meaning legal bikes can be ridden safely across different scenarios. 

However, in the short term, we must draw a clear line between legal e-bikes and illegal devices before additional classes are introduced.  

Non-EN-15194 electric bikes would need to be registered, and there will be a minimum age and a requirement for a licence.  Safety standards would need to be developed to ensure the bikes are safe at higher speeds. Appropriate speeds (i.e 45km/h), riding locations and equipment will need to be considered within the NSW context. 

These devices are more like motorbikes than bicycles. The existing regulations and licensing for motorbikes may provide a good starting point for the future integration of ‘speed pedalec’ style bikes into the road-related environment.

Bicycle NSW is strongly advocating for appropriate exemptions for modified e-bikes and e-trikes, and other adaptive devices.  

These devices might have modified frames, handlebars, levers etc which don't fit into a standard but are within the spirit of the new standard. 

We will continue to monitor policy as it is developed and advocate for the specific needs of our Members.

NSW Fair Trading has introduced another set of rules for electric bikes. New Product Safety Standards aim to reduce the risk of fires from low-quality batteries and chargers.

From 1st February 2026, e-micromobility devices and their associated lithium-ion batteries must be tested, certified and marked prior to sale in NSW.

Some bike models will meet the NSW Fair Trading fire safety standard without complying with the Transport for NSW e-bike rules. These devices will be legal to buy but not legal to ride in public places.

Bicycle NSW has compiled detailed information about e-bike regulations and battery safety, with links to relevant government websites.

Ultimately, the reinstatement of EN-15194 should remove the need for a separate set of battery regulations.

Bicycle NSW has a talented advocacy team that is capable of addressing many issues at once.

We fully recognise that oversized cars, reckless driving and unsafe roads have led to the deaths of over 1,330 Australians in 2025. The casualty figure have risen over the last 4 years. This is a huge concern. 

We campaign relentlessly for dedicated cycling infrastructure, lower speed limits on local roads, safer vehicles and better education for drivers.

Illegal and modified electric bikes do not integrate with our growing network of bicycle infrastructure and put young riders, their passengers and people walking at risk. It is important to address this as part of our mission to make NSW better for bike riding.