BIG Changes Proposed for e-Bikes – Comments Requested

ShekouDaily   |   July 15, 2018

The Southern Metro News recently reported on a new proposal that would require e-bikes in Shenzhen be registered/licensed and that the laws regarding riding and selling ebikes in Shenzhen be more clearly defined. 

If adopted, this proposal would bring big changes to e-bike use in Shenzhen. Comments regarding this proposal are now officially being requested. Anyone can send their comments until August 10th! 

There are four ways to submit your comments for consideration. The easiest way is by emailing [email protected].

有关单位和社会各界人士可以在2018年8月10日前，通过以下四种方式反馈提出的意见： （一）通过深圳政府法制信息网首页的“法规规章意见征集”栏目在线提交意见。 （二）通过信函方式将意见寄至：深圳市福中三路市民中心西座C5085室（邮政编码：518035），并请在信封上注明“立法征求意见”字样。 （三）通过电子邮件方式将意见发至：[email protected]。 （四）关注“深圳法制”微信公众号，在“互动交流-意见征集-法规规章”栏目提交意见。

Last Thursday, the Shenzhen Legal Affairs Office issued the draft “Several Provisions on the Management of Electric Bicycles in Shenzhen” designed to comprehensively strengthen the management of electric bicycles.

There are two proposed regulations in the plan:

  1. Electric bicycles in non-specific industries must be registered before they can ride in the permitted areas.
  2. Increase the regulations, and clearly delineate prohibited areas, restricted areas, and permitted areas.

The proposal lists a series of regulations regarding the safety of driving electric bicycles. For example, 

  • Drivers and occupants should wear safety helmets;
  • The number of passengers must not exceed one, and the passengers position should be sitting the same direction of the driver.

Penalties regarding violating the laws are also included; for example, if the electric bicycle driver or the passenger does not wear a safety helmet, the municipal public security traffic control department shall impose a fine of 200 yuan on the electric bicycle driver; and e-bike riders (even those registered) found riding on unauthorized roads will have their e-bikes confiscated and will fined 1,000 yuan.

Regarding Production and Sales

In the case of violations on the prohibition of production, the municipal market supervision and management department shall:

  • Order producers to stop production and sales;
  • Confiscate illegally produced and sold electric bicycles; and
  • Fine producers for illegally produced e-bikes (including those sold and unsold). Income from the sales will be confiscated, producers will be fined at a rate of three times the income generated from the illegal sales.

Riding an unregistered electric vehicle

Electric bicycles will be ok to ride on the road after being registered by the public security traffic control department. The municipal public security traffic control department will issue a registration certificate to the electric bicycle to be registered in the form of a QR code containing the information of the vehicle and the driver.

  • Vehicle identification chips issued by the public security traffic control department must be installed after the electric bicycles of a specific industry are registered. Current special electric bicycles in Shenzhen need to be filed.
  • The municipal public security traffic control department shall file and issue the registration voucher for the qualified non-specialized electric bicycles.

The  proposal also stipulates that if an electric bicycle that has not been register is driven on the road, the municipal public security traffic control department shall detain the vehicle and impose a fine of two thousand yuan.

What electric bike are standards-compliant?

Electric bicycles should meet the following technical specifications:

  1. Have pedal riding ability;
  2. With electric drive or electric assist function;
  3. When driving electrically, the maximum design speed shall not exceed 25km/h; when the electric assisted driving, the vehicle speed exceeds 25km/h, the motor shall not provide power output;
  4. The finished vehicle with a complete electric bicycle is less than or equal to 55kg;
  5. The nominal voltage of the battery is less than or equal to 48V;
  6. The rated continuous output power of the motor is less than or equal to 400W.

When will this all take effect?

The draft is a “Request for Comment” (RFC) and was submitted for comments until August 10th, 2018. It is still unknown; however, when and if this draft will actually become law. 

The details of the proposal were originally found on the South Metro Daily’s article “未来深圳骑电动车要有证，没证扣车罚2000！现已征求意见，还有这些新规” by Wang Yiguang, translated by Ruby Wang and summarized by Gary Isse.