Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) Bill

The short answer

Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) Bill

The Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) Bill 2025 is a private member's bill introduced by Independent MP Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, NSW) on 1 September 2025. It would amend the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 to classify e-bikes as road vehicles, require the minister to determine national road vehicle standards for e-bikes, and make a technical amendment to the Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule — Definitions and Vehicle Categories) 2005. If enacted, it would create a nationally consistent regulatory framework for e-bike product standards in place of the current patchwork of state and territory rules. As at the 13 September 2026 source check the bill remains before the House of Representatives: it was introduced and read a first time on 1 September 2025, the second reading was moved, and it has not been debated to a vote, has not passed either chamber and is not law. The change recorded in this batch is source_presence — the bill left the daily selection feed's current snapshot — not a change of parliamentary stage.

This is a federal system guide. State constitutions, parliaments and local-government laws can allocate comparable functions differently.

The useful question is not only “what is the rule?” but also “who administers it, which document controls it, and when might it change?” That distinction prevents an accurate general explanation from becoming wrong advice in a particular election, chamber or policy setting.

Evidence review

Chamber-record cross-check for this update

This update was triggered because the Road Vehicle Standards Amendment (Safer E-Bikes) Bill 2025 stopped appearing in the daily selection feed's current snapshot (recorded as a source_presence change). A bill leaving a list is only a prompt to re-check the official record; it is not evidence that the bill passed, was withdrawn, lapsed or became law. The bill page and the current Bills before Parliament list were re-opened on 13 September 2026.

The official record re-checked on 13 September 2026 shows the bill as a private member's bill originating in the House of Representatives, presented on 1 September 2025, first read the same day and listed as "Before House of Representatives", with no second reading debate to a vote, no committee referral, no passage in either chamber, no Royal Assent and no Act number, and no record of withdrawal or discharge. The bill's substance and stage are therefore unchanged from the site's previous review. The House record confirms the bill was presented on 1 September 2025 and read a first time, with the second reading moved and debate adjourned.

Evidence review

What the bill proposes

The bill has two operative components. First, it amends the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018 to classify e-bikes as road vehicles, bringing them within the scope of the national road vehicle standards regime. Higher-powered models that blur the line between bicycle and motor vehicle would then need to comply with safety, design and performance standards set at the federal level.

Second, the bill requires the minister to determine national road vehicle standards specifically for e-bikes. This ministerial power would allow technical specifications to be set for e-bikes — matters such as maximum motor power output, speed limits, braking performance, lighting and battery safety. A technical amendment to the Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule — Definitions and Vehicle Categories) 2005 would accommodate the new classification within the existing Australian Design Rules framework.

The bill does not itself set the specific standards. It uses a delegated-legislation approach, with the detailed standards to be made by the minister through legislative instruments after the bill passes — allowing them to be updated as technology evolves without further primary legislation. As at the check date that delegation has not been exercised because the bill is not law.

Evidence review

The current regulatory gap

E-bike regulation in Australia sits in a fragmented space. Under the Australian Road Rules, e-bikes that meet the European standard EN 15194 — maximum motor power of 250 watts and pedal-assist only up to 25 km/h — are treated as bicycles and do not require registration, licensing or insurance. Higher-powered e-bikes, e-scooters and other electric rideables fall into a grey area, and some models sold in Australia exceed the 250-watt limit while being marketed in ways that obscure their legal status.

State and territory governments set their own rules for higher-powered devices, so what is legal in one jurisdiction may be illegal in another, and enforcement is inconsistent. The bill aims to close that gap by bringing e-bikes under a single national framework administered through the Road Vehicle Standards Act, so that safety and design standards do not depend on where a device is sold or used.

The division of responsibility matters for reading this bill: product standards are a Commonwealth lever, while road rules about who may ride where, and at what speed, remain largely state and territory matters.

Evidence review

Why the bill was introduced

Independent MP Sophie Scamps (Mackellar, NSW) introduced the bill against a background of growing e-bike use and rising safety concerns. E-bike sales in Australia have grown substantially in recent years, driven by food delivery, commuting and recreational cycling.

With increased use has come an increase in reported safety incidents, including collisions involving pedestrians and vehicles, and concerns about battery fires from poorly manufactured lithium-ion batteries. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has issued warnings about unsafe e-bike batteries and chargers. The bill's title — "Safer E-Bikes" — signals that product safety is the primary stated motivation.

There is also an industry dimension: manufacturers and importers who comply with safety requirements face competition from businesses importing non-compliant or unsafe products, and national standards would require all products to meet the same minimum requirements. These are the arguments advanced for the bill; this article does not endorse them.

Evidence review

Who would be affected

E-bike manufacturers, importers and retailers would be directly affected, since they would need to comply with national standards. That could impose compliance costs while creating a more predictable regulatory environment.

E-bike users would be affected mainly through the products available. The bill itself does not impose new obligations on riders; road rules and usage regulation would remain the domain of state and territory governments, though the standards set for e-bikes would likely influence how states regulate their use.

State and territory transport regulators would need to align enforcement and registration systems with the new national framework, potentially requiring changes to state road transport legislation. Food delivery platforms that rely heavily on e-bike riders also have an interest in the product standards that would emerge from the ministerial determination process.

Evidence review

Where the bill stands

The bill was presented and read a first time in the House of Representatives on 1 September 2025, and the second reading was moved. As at 13 September 2026, more than a year after introduction, it has not been debated to a vote and has not been referred to a committee.

As a private member's bill it does not have the scheduling priority of government legislation. Its progress depends on whether it secures a slot for second reading debate and attracts government and crossbench support. A long period before the House without debate is not unusual for a private member's bill and indicates it has not been prioritised for scheduling.

Common questions

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