China proposes stricter e-bike standards for safety

Chinese authorities proposed on Thursday stricter technical standards for electric bicycles, with the top designed speed of e-bikes capped at 25 kilometers per hour, to enhance safety and better regulate the country's rapidly growing e-bike sector. 

The new standards, proposed by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and several other ministries, were open for public opinion on Thursday.

One of the key updates is the enhancement of fire-retardant features of e-bikes. The revised standards called for stricter flame resistance requirements for non-metallic materials used in electric bicycles, while also limiting the use of plastic components.

The new standards also proposed to add features such as real-time communication and Beidou satellite positioning so as to ensure e-bike's safety through dynamic monitoring.

In addition, to curb illegal modifications, the standards also specify that controllers, batteries, and chargers must be "interoperable", making it technically harder to tamper with them.