YouGov Survey Finds 84 Percent of Britons Unsure on E-Bike Legality as Industry Launches Compliance Scheme

A YouGov survey found that 84 per cent of Britons are not confident they could identify whether an electric bike is road legal or has been modified. Only 16 per cent of respondents knew that an e-bike motor must stop assisting once it reaches 15.5 mph to remain legal on UK roads.

GB News reported that the Bicycle Association and the Association of Cycle Traders introduced the E-Bike Positive trust mark to address buyer confusion.

Thirty-three manufacturers have signed up, representing more than 80 per cent of reputable e-bikes sold in Britain. More than 600 retailers participate, including Halfords, Evans Cycles, Decathlon and hundreds of independent shops. Retailers in the scheme must sell only road-legal e-bikes, carry out repairs according to manufacturers' guidance, supply approved batteries and chargers, provide safety information and refuse to repair dangerous or illegal models.

Shops face checks through mystery shopper visits and documentation reviews. Manufacturers must pass independent audits to confirm compliance with legal and safety standards. Steve Garidis, executive director of the Bicycle Association, stated that reputable brands spend years and considerable sums developing e-bikes which meet longstanding international standards and all the regulations for their legal sale and use on the road.

Sergeant Stu Ford of the City of London Police Cycle Team stated that the machines police are seizing are not bicycles and many have been illegally modified to reach speeds that put riders, pedestrians and other road users in serious danger. Fire services reported a rise in battery fires linked to unsafe lithium batteries fitted to some illegal e-bikes, some of which have caused deaths and serious injuries.