Federal and state governments are consolidating their plans around new rules for e-bikes.
Following the decision in 2025 to reintroduce the European standard for e-bikes on Australian roads, the Commonwealth has now amended the import rules for e-bikes by re-inserting EN15194:2017 into the definition of an e-bike in the Australian Design Rules.
The Department of Transport and Border Security uses this definition to decide if a product is an e-bike that can be imported into Australia.
Such an e-bike must meet all the requirements of EN15194:2017 including having a maximum continuous power of 250 watts, a maximum assisted speed of 25km/h, and a maximum throttled-controlled walk-mode speed of 6km/h.
Significantly, the standard now also contains an anti-tampering provision to prevent the power and speed limitations being altered by sellers or owners.
A retailer manufacturer or retailer cannot provide a code, controller setting, device app, mechanical device, throttle in a box or any other functionality for consumer modification.
From our local state perspective, NSW e-bike laws are changing in stages between 2026 and 2029, to become aligned with the national regulations.
New e-bikes sold in NSW must now be marked to show whether they meet the EN 15194 standard or not.
From March 2029, e-bikes that aren’t certified to EN 15194 will no longer be legal to ride on roads, cycleways, shared paths or other public areas in NSW.
The links below provide information about what has changed at a national level, and how these new regulations are being applied in NSW…
This year’s Kiama BUG Autumn Cycling Tour is heading west to visit the city of Orange, during the week commencing Monday 9th March 2026
Kiama Library is hosting an evening with Jacqui Webster, sharing the story about her travel memoir, Two Bugs on Bikes: Our middle-aged gap year cycling across Europe and Africa.
It’s going to be a Kiama BUG kinda Christmas….
As noted in a previous KBUG News post, new e-bike laws being introduced in NSW, aimed to curb the fire hazard caused by lithium-ion batteries, have been pushed back to February 1, 2026.
NSW e-Bike product standards, introduced earlier this year, were to be a nationwide first to tackle the risk of lithium battery fires, applying to e-Bike sales and e-Bike hire, and micro-mobility products like e-scooters & skateboards.
The 2025 Kiama BUG Annual General Meeting and Dinner will be held on Wednesday 27th August, at the Oak Flats Bowling Club.
This year’s Kiama BUG Cycling Tour will visit the NSW Central Coast and Newcastle during the week commencing 12th May 2025.