On September 1st, the new version of the “Safety Technical Specification for Electric Bikes” (GB 17761-2024) officially came into effect, marking a new round of safety upgrades and technological innovations for Chinese electric bike industry. This new national standard imposes higher requirements on vehicle safety, anti-tampering design, and battery management, which will have a profound impact on industry production, sales, and consumer use.

Core changes to the new regulations include: a maximum design speed limit of 25 km/h and enhanced anti-tamper features; differentiated e-bike weights based on battery type (63 kg for lead-acid battery vehicles); a requirement that plastics not exceed 5.5% of the e-bike’s weight; and improved braking performance and fire retardancy standards. Notably, the new regulations no longer require all electric bike models to have pedals, but do specify that e-bikes used for commercial purposes such as urban logistics and commercial rentals must be equipped with Beidou positioning modules.

The policy establishes a three-month sales transition period. E-bikes produced under the old standards and already certified by the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) will continue to be sold until November 30th of this year. Starting December 1st, the market will fully transition to the new standards. Simultaneously, 3C certification requirements for batteries and chargers will take effect simultaneously on November 1st, ensuring comprehensive regulatory coverage of the entire e-bike and its core components.

The implementation of the new national standard will accelerate the elimination of substandard small workshops and promote the industry’s development towards standardization and high quality. With the implementation of the new regulations, the e-bike industry is ushering in a new round of quality upgrades, and the industry reshuffle and safety improvements will proceed simultaneously.