Laws and regulations related to electric bicycles in Australia

Australia's management measures for electric bicycles cover multiple aspects such as power classification, safety standards, battery regulation, road use regulations, and educational pilot programs, as follows:

Power classification and road management

• Electric bicycles with a power below 200 watts can be driven directly on the road without registration, and violations will be treated as regular bicycles.
• Electric bicycles with a power exceeding 200 watts are considered small motorcycles and require registration and holding the corresponding driver's license.

• Road usage regulations: Electric bicycles must turn off their power assist when driving in bike lanes or areas with high pedestrian density; The car lights must comply with regulations (white front lights, red rear lights, visibility not less than 200 meters).

Safety standards and certification requirements

• Mandatory certification in New South Wales: Starting from February 1, 2025, electric bicycles must meet one of the following standards:

  • Maximum continuous rated output ≤ 500 watts: AS 15194:2016, EN 15194:2017+A1:2023, UL 2849 (Electric Bicycle Electrical Systems).
  • Maximum continuous rated output>500 watts: UL 2849 (electric bicycle electrical system).

• Battery safety standards: Electric bicycle batteries must meet one of the following standards:

  • EN 50604-1:2016+A1:2021 (Secondary lithium batteries for light electric vehicles)
  • IEC 62133-2:2017 (Safety requirements for portable sealed secondary batteries)
  • UL 2271 (Battery for Light Electric Vehicle Applications)

• Certification process:

  • Starting from February 1, 2025: Products must comply with standards, but testing, certification, or labeling is not mandatory.
  • Starting from August 1, 2025, sellers must obtain testing and approval certificates before they can sell.
  • Starting from February 1, 2026: Products must pass testing, certification, and labeling before they can be sold.

Battery regulation and safety enhancement

• Lithium ion battery safety standards: Starting from February 2025, New South Wales will implement mandatory safety standards for lithium-ion batteries used in electric mobile devices such as electric bicycles, with the aim of reducing the risk of fire.
• Testing and certification requirements: The battery must pass testing by an accredited laboratory and obtain a product approval certificate issued by a certification body. The markings must be clear and permanently displayed on the product.

Education pilot and safety promotion

• Student safety testing pilot: New South Wales plans to launch a student electric bicycle safety testing program, requiring students to pass online assessments (covering bicycle safety, road rules, etc.) before riding to school. Some schools have expressed interest in participating.
• Safety awareness enhancement: Conduct lithium-ion battery and electric bicycle safety training through community platforms, strengthen emergency response personnel certification training, and enhance public safety awareness.

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