NSW to seize and destroy illegally modified ebikes

The NSW government has announced a crackdown that will give police powers to seize and destroy ebikes that do not cut power assistance at 25km/h. Transport minister John Graham said new seizure laws will allow police to remove non-compliant bikes from the streets and crush them, and that the laws will apply even if the owner was unaware their ebike was noncompliant.

Graham said the proposed laws were a direct response to community concern about "souped-up ebikes and the antisocial behaviour that seems to go hand in hand with them." The government will invest in "dyno units" — portable speed-testing devices — to measure an ebike’s power output.

The move expands existing seizure laws, which were designed to remove high-powered cars and motorbikes from the road and can require a lengthy court process.

Australia, New South Wales