Half of Queensland's privately-owned e-mobility devices non-compliant, survey finds

About half of privately-owned e-mobility devices in Queensland are non-compliant with regulations, according to a government-funded survey. The study found that close to one million privately-owned devices are across the state, including 587,000 e-bikes.

Survey Findings

The research, based on 3,464 responses collected from March to May, found that devices were classified as non-compliant based on participants' self-reported speed, power and throttle characteristics. The most common issue reported by owners was having a maximum speed exceeding 25km/h, followed by e-bikes exceeding 250W.

University of Queensland's Dr Richard Buning said it was important to educate riders. "I'm sure there are a lot of upset folks out there and parents that have purchased these devices, these unsafe illegal ones, and they can't ride them or worry about riding them," he said.

Compliance Issues

Queensland University of Technology researcher Narelle Haworth, who was not involved in the study, said the number of devices reported as being non-compliant was "scary". "That may not necessarily mean that devices are being used in a non-compliant way," she said. "It is hard to know how many people bought an unsafe, uncompliant device and knew that it was."

Professor Haworth said further research was needed to understand whether those who had a non-compliant device knew when they bought it to inform the best response. "If you look at it altogether, it seems bad, but you look at the actual specific types of devices, and who is using them, the picture changes a little bit," Dr Buning said.

New Laws and Enforcement

Since new laws came into effect in July, Queensland police have seized 600 e-bikes that do not meet the European Standard EN1519, with Police Minister Dan Purdie saying the "majority" had been destroyed. Under the new laws, from March next year all e-bikes must meet the European Standard EN 15194, or be verified through the government’s assurance scheme, and display a sticker indicating their compliance.

RACQ’s executive manager of public policy Michael Kane welcomed the first-of-its-kind study. “This is a part of our future and the more we understand and the more we can make improvements to the ecosystem,” he said. “The reality is any new transport technology has positives and minuses, and you really need to encourage the positive in the good outcome, and then you do need to regulate and address the negatives.”

In response to questions about the report's findings, a Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said since the research was undertaken the state government had introduced "stronger laws and enforcement to improve e-mobility safety and compliance". The spokesperson said the changes aimed to make Queensland safer, alongside extensive education for riders, parents, schools and retailers.