Safety Standards

The Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique (CENELEC) in Brussels is currently assessing whether there is sufficient support to adopt the VDMA 24994 as the standard across the European Union for safe e-bike battery storage. – Photo Tweewieler

Will German standard for e-bike battery storage soon apply across...

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Which battery cabinet provides sufficient protection when an e-bike battery catches fire? Many bicycle industry entrepreneurs are uncertain about the products available. The German VDMA 24994 standard is intended to help separate the good from the bad. According to Bart van de Broek of Dutch financial services provider Nationale-Nederlanden, it will soon be clear whether this standard will also apply across all of Europe.

On a European scale, CEN (European Committee for Standardization) is working on standards for (e-)cargo bikes to align with the Machinery Directive. – Photo Shutterstock

LEV framework in the Netherlands faces further delays

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands - The Dutch Light Electric Vehicles (LEV) framework has been postponed once more, according to the RAI Association, the professional organization for (e-)bike manufacturers in the Netherlands. Initially set to take effect on January 1, 2025, the framework is now delayed until July 2025. Implementation of the new framework will have implications for amongst others, e-cargobike users in the country.

Blog: Fuuuuuut!!! 

Blog: Fuuuuuut!!!

As I wrote in one of my earlier blogs, the upcoming General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is food for many more blogs to come. It contains many provisions that go far beyond the current EU General Product Safety Directive (GPSD). In this blog, I would like to draw attention to a new obligation that is introduced in the GPSR: accident reporting.

SGS’s braking performance test with machine method is a customised braking performance test facility designed for cargo bikes, to adopt the wider and longer dimension than a typical two-wheeled bicycle. – Photo SGS

Shifting gears: Europe's new standard for e-cargo bikes

GENEVA, Switzerland - E-cargobikes are becoming an increasingly common sight on our city streets. They offer a sensible and sustainable alternative to fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. However, without strict safety standards, they also present a risk to riders and other road users. Chih-Hao Lien, Assistant Manager at SGS Hardlines Lab in Taiwan asks: What does the publication of the EN 17860 series of standards for carrier cycles mean for suppliers of e-cargo bikes and the safety on our urban streets?

The development of a new standard in the US became urgent after the publication of the e-bike related incidents. – Photo Shutterstock

US authorities soliciting industry comments on e-bike safety

WASHINGTON, USA - To counter the rapidly increasing number of accidents with e-bikes, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has initiated a rulemaking proceeding. They have invited all industry stakeholders to comment on the risk of injury associated with mechanical hazards of e-bikes and plans to develop new standards to address these risks.

“We believe e-bike brands and sellers of lithium-ion batteries testing, certifying, and labeling their products as complying with UL 2849 and UL 2271 will help the US market,” says Heather Mason of the NBDA. - Photo Bike Europe

E-bike fires unites US Congress in vote for battery safety legislation

WASHINGTON, USA - The number of e-bike battery related fires in the city of New York has resulted in bipartisan support in Congress for legislation to develop standards for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries. According to safety experts this regulation is the only option to limit the number of e-bike fires. What do cycling organisations and the industry expect of this legislation?

India is now developing a local supply chain which can deliver world-class products for export to any market globally. - Photo Satnam Singh

India looks to align e-bike standard with global requirements

LUDHIANA, India - India is in the midst of framing standards for e-bikes as it aspires to step-up its export to the EU market. But first, the domestic industry needs to gel the local standards to become compatible with European standards.

“The fact that chargers were still for sale reinforces the need for urgent changes to the law, strict enforcement and penalties,” says UK consumer safety charity, Electrical Safety First. – Photo Wish.com

Regulation required to ban unsafe e-bike battery chargers and...

LONDON, UK - Quality issues with e-bike battery chargers have caused reasons for concern in the UK but also in EU countries. One of the largest online sellers of e-bike chargers and conversion kits, Wish.com has banned the sales of the products citing safety risks. Yet there are serious concerns about the enforcement of the new policy.

Left to right: Dr Mo-Hua Yang, President of EnergyBus, Hannes Neupert, President of ExtraEnergy and Board Member of EnergyBus, Onkar Singh, Managing Director, Avon Cycles Limited and Chairman R&D taskforce, AICMA, Harsimerjit Singh, President of trade body UCPMA (United Cycle and Parts Manufacturers Association) and U Rajagopal, President, AICMA at the industry event in November. – Photo Satnam Singh

India drafting standards for e-bikes as market develops rapidly

LUDHIANA, India - The Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) is in the midst of drafting standards for electric power assisted cycles. Standards for electric bicycles are likely to take final shape in the next six months and be ready for implementation by the middle of 2024, industry insiders involved in drafting the standards have said.

In the food delivery sector there is a widespread use of bicycles converted to e-bikes via e-bike conversion kits, the London Fire Brigade has determined. – Photo Shutterstock

UK bike industry bodies issue e-bike battery guidance as new safety...

LONDON, England - An increase in e-bike battery fires in the UK has prompted a call for new legislation to mandate the safety of e-bike batteries including third party approval. In response, two cycling industry trade bodies in the UK have joined forces to issue guidance sheets for the industry and called for stricter enforcement of product safety for products supplied to the UK.