For those out of the loop, there have been a spate of deaths caused by people riding illegal, unregistered electric motorbikes recently, including children. These are vehicles being sold as “ebikes”, and many in the media are still calling them that, but they are not ebikes. By definition, an ebike must be pedal-assist only (with allowance for up to 6 km/h with a button or throttle, to assist starting or walking the bike), and to be a legal ebike in Australia it must have a motor which cuts out at 25 km/h. You can pedal above that speed, but cannot receive motor assistance.

The problem exists in part because of a regulation change by the Morrison Government. Prior to the change, all ebikes being imported into the country had to meet the EN-15194 standard. Morrison removed that requirement, allowing the import of vehicles that are illegal to ride on roads and bikeways. That created a glut of illegal vehicles on the street, being bought for kids by parents who don’t know better or don’t care. That import regulation is apparently being put back in place.