The ACCC is working toward Australia's first mandatory e-bike safety standard

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has confirmed it is working toward a new, nationally consistent safety standard for e-bikes, the first time e-bikes specifically would be covered by a mandatory Australian standard. The work follows federal government funding announced earlier this year and covers e-bikes first, ahead of e-scooters and e-skateboards.

Why now

The ACCC's own product safety page points to a clear trigger: while most legal e-bikes are capped at 250 watts with a 25km/h assist cutoff, e-bikes with motors over 1000W and assist speeds beyond 50km/h are increasingly turning up on Australian roads and paths. The regulator also flags fire risk from low quality, unbranded or non compatible lithium ion batteries as a driver of the review, alongside a rise in injuries and deaths linked to e-micromobility devices generally.

What a mandatory standard would actually do

This is not yet a finished rule. The ACCC began investigating regulatory options in June 2026, and it says stakeholder consultation on proposed policy options is expected to start by late 2026, with affected businesses and consumer groups to be notified when it opens. Only after that consultation will the ACCC prepare a recommendation to the minister on whether to introduce a formal mandatory standard, a process that also has to satisfy government impact analysis and international trade obligations.

What it means for buyers

Nothing changes at the checkout yet, but the direction is clear: expect closer scrutiny of power output claims, speed limiting and battery quality on any e-bike sold in Australia over the next year or two. If you are buying now, it is worth sticking to e-bikes that already comply with the standard 250W, 25km/h specification rather than higher powered imports, since those are the exact devices this standard is aimed at. Use BikeFinder's e-bike listings to check a model's rated power before you buy.