“Transferring e-bike: plate registered. No extra steps.” “Secondhand e-bike, 90% new… hits over 70 km/h!” 

These are among the illegally modified secondhand e-bike listings now crowding Chinese e-commerce platforms, appearing just days after authorities rolled out the country’s strictest e-bike regulations to date, which cap all 380 million e-bikes nationwide at 25 km/h.

The new safety standards, effective Dec. 1, require manufacturers to build e-bikes that cut power automatically when exceeding set speeds. The new rules also limit the use of plastic components, improve battery protection, and strengthen anti-tampering technologies.

Many of the secondhand e-bikes sold online come with pre-registered license plates and have been tampered with, often by removing speed limiters, which are legally required on all e-bikes in China. Sellers typically bypass formal ownership transfers and even promote this as a way for buyers to avoid traffic fines.

One seller told domestic media outlet The Beijing News that though a secondhand vehicle’s registration cannot be changed to a new owner, any licensed e-bike can be used on the road regardless of whose name is on the registration. 

“Many delivery riders buy these (secondhand, modified) models,” the seller said, noting their high motor power, larger size, and removed speed limiters.

According to China’s traffic regulations, the sale and purchase of second-hand e-bikes require a formal transfer of ownership. If the transfer is not completed, the vehicle remains registered under the original owner, posing potential legal risks.

However, when accompanying local police on routine checks to assess e-bike traffic violations, The Beijing News found that police typically only verify the authenticity of the license plate, rather than whether the rider is the registered owner.

Authorities are now moving to tighten rules around e-bike ownership. Under the city of Beijing’s revised Non-Motor Vehicle Management Regulations, which take effect May 1, 2026, owners must first apply to update registration information within 30 days of transferring a registered e-bike. Penalties for violations have not yet been announced. 

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: Rows of e-bikes parked near a subway station in Jiangsu province, Dec. 6, 2025. VCG)