Four departments in China have jointly released an opinion, stating that new national standards for electric bicycles will be implemented starting September 1.
According to the "Gongxin Weibo" WeChat public account, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Public Security, State Administration for Market Regulation, and the National Fire and Rescue Administration have jointly issued the "Opinions on Strengthening the Implementation of Compulsory National Standards for Electric Bicycles and Accelerating the Supply of New Products."
The "Opinions" make arrangements from seven aspects, including strict management of electric bicycle production, certification management, sales supervision, registration management, renewal and replacement of old vehicles, consumer rights protection, and construction of long-term mechanisms. These measures aim to promote the adjustment and adaptation of all links in the entire electric bicycle industry chain in accordance with the new standard requirements, to accelerate the formation of an industry ecosystem and regulatory model that meet the new standards.
The "Opinions" propose that local market regulation and public security departments should crack down on illegal sales, illegal modification, and the production and sale of counterfeit and substandard electric bicycles and batteries, and expose typical cases to create a strong deterrent effect.
The "Opinions" also call for ensuring synergy and coordination with the "old-for-new" replacement program, so as to promptly phase out old electric bicycles with lithium batteries that pose safety risks and are no longer suitable for continued use. The standardized recycling and comprehensive utilization of used lithium batteries should also be continuously improved.
The "Opinions" require local fire rescue, public security, industry and information technology, and market regulation departments to strengthen whole-chain traceability investigations of electric bicycle fires and fatal traffic accidents, and to rigorously pursue accountability at each relevant link. For product quality issues found during investigations, market regulation departments must strictly investigate and handle them according to laws and regulations. There should also be extensive case warning and safety knowledge education, with increased publicity in key communities to ensure that all measures are implemented effectively.
Next, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, together with relevant departments, will thoroughly implement the State Council’s work arrangements for comprehensive remediation of safety risks in the electric bicycle sector, continue to advance the implementation of the "Opinions," strengthen follow-up and effectiveness evaluations, ensure effective supply of products that meet the "Technical Specifications," truly enhance the intrinsic safety level of electric bicycle products, effectively safeguard people’s lives and property, and accelerate the high-quality development of the electric bicycle industry.