This bill is currently before Parliament.
Transport & communications
The bill would bring electrically power-assisted cycles, or EPACs, under the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018The Commonwealth law that regulates road vehicles and road vehicle components, including import and supply rules. This bill would use that law to regulate specified e-bike categories. by defining them as road vehicles.
Sophie Scamps introduced the bill to close what she described as a federal import and safety-standard gap for e-bikes. The explanatory memorandum says e-bike technology and popularity have outpaced existing definitions and standards, while the second-reading speech says non-compliant or overpowered e-bikes have created safety, enforcement and consumer-confusion problems for riders, pedestrians, police and regulators.
The bill sits in a wider debate about how Australian law should treat e-bikes that look or perform more like motor vehicles than ordinary bicycles. Local source material points to three connected pressures: public safety concerns around high-speed or modified e-bikes, confusion at the import border about when an e-bike becomes a road vehicle, and the use of national vehicle standards to align Australian rules with international safety requirements.
The local source corpus for this manual page did not contain substantive criticism of the bill itself. The collected parliamentary material includes the sponsor speech and a supporting seconding speech; no proposed amendments, recorded divisions or opposition speeches were collected for this bill at the time of processing.
Sophie Scamps MP introduced this bill. Supportive speeches so far have come from some crossbench members.
Did it become law?
Not yet
Final passage
No final vote yet
The bill has not yet completed passage through Parliament.
Days since introduction
282 days
Updated 10 June 2026.
Meaning
The bill would bring electrically power-assisted cycles, or EPACs, under the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018The Commonwealth law that regulates road vehicles and road vehicle components, including import and supply rules. This bill would use that law to regulate specified e-bike categories. by defining them as road vehicles.
It would also create a new road-vehicle category for powerful e-bikes: electric two- or three-wheeled vehicles that are not EPACs and are not already mopeds, motorcycles or motor tricycles under the vehicle standards.
Within six months of commencement, the responsible minister would have to make national road vehicle standards for both EPACs and powerful e-bikes.
The EPACA type of e-bike, also called an EPAC, that is treated in the bill as a road vehicle so a national safety standard can be made for it. standard would have to cover pedal cranks, height-adjustable seats, anti-tampering protections for speed, power and related settings, plus other matters in European Standard EN15194An international e-bike safety standard for electrically power-assisted cycles. The bill says the Australian EPAC standard must cover matters in this standard beyond the listed pedal, seat and anti-tampering requirements..
Part 2 of the Road Vehicle Standards ActThe part of the Act that regulates road vehicles and road vehicle components, including approval, importation and supply rules. The bill would temporarily or conditionally keep some EPACs outside those rules. would not apply to EPACs for the first six months, and after that would not apply to EPACs that meet the new standard or are exempt because they are for a person with disability or will not be ridden on a public road.
10C EPACs are road vehicles (1) An electrically power-assisted cycle is a road vehicle.Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) introduced bill text
A vehicle is a powerful e-bike if: (a) the vehicle has 2 or 3 wheels; and (b) the vehicle is powered, wholly or partly, by an electric motor; and (c) the vehicle is not an electrically power-assisted cycle (EPAC).Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) introduced bill text
Within 6 months after the commencement of this section, the Minister must determine a national road vehicle standard for powerful e-bikes.Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) introduced bill text
The standard must deal with: (a) operational pedal cranks; and (b) height adjustable seats; and (c) anti-tampering relevant parameters ... and (d) the matters not covered by paragraphs (a) to (c) that are included in European Standard EN15194.Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) introduced bill text
Part 2 ... does not apply in relation to an electrically power-assisted cycle in the six month period beginning when this section commences. ... After the end of the period ... Part 2 does not apply ... if: (a) it meets the requirements of the national road vehicle standard ... or (b) it is covered by a determination in force under section 10F.Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) introduced bill text
Context
The bill sits in a wider debate about how Australian law should treat e-bikes that look or perform more like motor vehicles than ordinary bicycles. Local source material points to three connected pressures: public safety concerns around high-speed or modified e-bikes, confusion at the import border about when an e-bike becomes a road vehicle, and the use of national vehicle standards to align Australian rules with international safety requirements.
Battery-fire concerns add to e-bike safety debate
The Australian Financial Review reported that lithium-ion battery fires from e-bikes and scooters were prompting strata-insurance and apartment-storage concerns.
Australian Financial Review ↗Public concern grows over powerful fat e-bikes
The Australian Financial Review described powerful fat e-bikes as a visible road-safety issue and quoted a Vision Australia representative describing bikes travelling well above the usual 25 km/h assistance limit.
Australian Financial Review ↗Bill introduced in the House
Sophie Scamps introduced the bill and said it was intended to ensure e-bikes imported into Australia are safe, compliant and fit for purpose.
House of Representatives Hansard ↗Department warns importers about e-bike limits
The Department of Infrastructure told importers that e-bikes exceeding speed or power limits may be road vehicles, requiring import approval and compliance with national road vehicle standards.
Department of Infrastructure ↗Schools respond to fat-bike safety concerns
The Australian Financial Review reported that several Sydney private schools had banned or restricted fat bikes on campus because of safety concerns.
Australian Financial Review ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Key criticism
The local source corpus for this manual page did not contain substantive criticism of the bill itself. The collected parliamentary material includes the sponsor speech and a supporting seconding speech; no proposed amendments, recorded divisions or opposition speeches were collected for this bill at the time of processing.
This is a limitation of the collected local record, not a finding that no person or group has ever criticised the proposal.
Further sources
Votes
No recorded votes have been found yet for this bill.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Sophie Scamps supported and introduced the bill, arguing that federal import and safety rules had not kept pace with e-bike technology, leaving overpowered or modified e-bikes to create risks for riders, pedestrians and enforcement agencies.
Read in Hansard ↗Nicolette Boele supported the bill, saying it was not about curbing e-bike use but about requiring imported e-bikes to meet national safety standards and include basic safety and anti-tampering protections.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
2 speakers · 2 support
“The major regulatory failing at the federal level is that, when e-bikes are being imported into Australia, they do not have to meet any mandatory safety or quality standards because they are not considered road vehicles under the Road Vehicle Standards Act.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“This bill is not about cracking down on e-bikes. I love them, and I wish more people used them. It's about ensuring that the roughly 260,000—and growing—e-bikes imported to Australia each year meet national import standards and are equipped with basic safety designs and antitampering protections.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
