Zoomo calls for stricter regulations amid illegal e-bike domination

Industry leaders have raised the alarm over the surge in illegally modified e-bikes, despite police crackdowns. And one industry is to blame.

A leading e-bike company is demanding urgent action from authorities as illegally modified bicycles surge in popularity across Australia.

Electric bikes are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to navigate congested CBD streets faster than cars or scooters, making them an ideal choice for food delivery workers.

James Chung with the Zoomo e-bike. Picture: David McCowen

F drivers on e-bikes are becoming more of an issue in Australia. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Max Mason-Hubers

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Unlike cars or motorcycles, e-bikes don’t need to be registered or require a licence to ride, making them an efficient alternative provided they fall within certain power limits under Australian law.

Gema Martínez Casanova, operations manager for populae e-bike brand Zoomo, says the proliferation of illegal e-bikes undermines legal e-bikes.

“It’s quite frustrating because we try to create a really safe and reliable product for our customers,” she says.

“We understand e-bikes, there’s a big increase in usage with e-bikes, and there are a lot of people who don’t like them because they have this idea of e-bikes going 45 km/h on the pathway.”

James Chung with the Zoomo e-bike. Picture: David McCowen

In most states and territories, e-bikes are classified as ‘pedal-assisted cycles’ and must comply with the European Standard for Power-Assisted Pedal Cycles (EN15194).

This standard typically limits the power from the electric motor to 250W and mandates that the motor stop propelling the bike when the speed reaches 25 km/h.

Despite Zoomo’s commitment to adhering to legal standards and ensuring customer safety, the situation is worsened by gig economy workers who seek faster delivery times and opt for bikes that can be modified to exceed legal limits.

“We can’t do anything, because the customer wants to make more deliveries per hour, so of course they are going to go for a vehicle that goes faster,” Gema said.

“So not only do we have to compete by always trying to be better on our hardware and customer experience on a legal side, but also we have to be aware of the illegal bikes in the industry.

“We really respect the law, but we would like everyone to be applying the same rules.

“We create such a safe, reliable product, and we also employ a lot of people in Australia, but at the end of the day, we won’t be able to compete.

A general view of a food delivery bike rider during lunch hour in the CBD in Sydney. Picture: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

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“So we urge the authorities to do more on illegal e-bikes. We see it everyday when a rider is riding up hill, not pedalling and travelling more than 6km per hour.”

Many riders are also turning to e-bike conversion kits, which allow them to retrofit a standard bicycle with an electric motor, battery, and control system.

These kits are widely available online, and their power can exceed 1000 watts, reaching speeds well over 60 km/h.

A leading industry body has reported a surge in these unregistered and high-powered e-bike models entering the Australian market.

A food delivery rider riding through Sydney’s CBD. Picture: NewsWire / Max Mason-Hubers

Electric micromobility devices, including e-bikes, are growing in popularity. Picture:NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

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The Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) is calling on both state and federal governments to urgently enforce existing national laws that regulate e-bikes, as growing numbers of unregistered, high-powered models are being used in commercial operations across Melbourne.

“The rules are already there under the Road Vehicle Standards Act. But they’re being ignored by overseas sellers, by delivery platform operators, and increasingly by riders who use these bikes for commercial gain,” VACC CEO Peter Jones says.

“It’s one thing to ride a compliant e-bike recreationally.

“But when you’re using a 1000-watt machine all day in city traffic to deliver for a company, you’re operating a commercial vehicle. That must come with legal responsibilities, just like it would for a van, a ute or a motorbike.”

NSW authorities are also intensifying efforts to enforce safety laws against e-bike riders who have illegally modified or tampered with their bikes, according to The Daily Telegraph.

NSW police conducted a month-long operation, during which they checked 305 e-bikes and fined 32 riders. They discovered that 28 bikes had been modified or adjusted to exceed the legal speed limits set by manufacturers.

Operation Kilowatt has cracked down on e-bike riders in the Northern Beaches. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Over the past year, high-visibility police operations have been conducted across New South Wales in areas such as the Sydney CBD, Sutherland Shire, Eastern Suburbs, and Byron Bay, resulting in hundreds of fines being issued to e-bike riders who breached regulations.