New South Wales authorities crushed 23 illegal ebikes at a western Sydney wrecking facility on Thursday, marking the first enforcement action under regulations that took effect in August. Police are reviewing applications for the return of 13 additional bikes seized during a joint operation with Transport for NSW in the northern beaches in September. The destroyed bikes included units capable of exceeding legal specifications, with one device seized from a teenager able to reach speeds over 90km/h, along with food delivery bikes and units with tampered speed-limiting settings.
Transport Minister John Graham stated the enforcement action was necessary due to problematic riding behavior observed across the state, including incidents on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and in suburban areas. Under current regulations, legal ebikes must be limited to 25km/h maximum assisted speed, 6km/h unpowered speed, and 500 watts continuous power, with the power limit scheduled to decrease to 250 watts in March 2029. Batteries from crushed bikes were removed for safe recycling before destruction.
Concurrently, St Vincent’s hospital released data indicating a 22% increase in ebike-related injuries across legal and illegal devices, with 361 patients presenting for treatment between January and July compared to 296 during the same period the previous year. The hospital reported that 42% of these injuries triggered trauma responses, and the majority involved riders under the influence of alcohol or drugs, exceeding safe speeds, or riding without helmets. Injuries documented ranged from fractures and internal bleeding to organ perforation and severe head trauma.
Dr. Ed Lewis, acting head of rehabilitation medicine, warned of long-term consequences from even minor head injuries such as concussions and emphasized the importance of helmet use and sober riding practices. Minister Graham acknowledged rising injury concerns while noting the absolute numbers remain lower than vehicle-related incidents, though trending upward. The 36 bikes seized to date represent a small fraction of an estimated 760,000 illegal ebikes operating in the state. An expert review regarding potential age restrictions between 12 and 16 years was previously scheduled to report in June, though details on implementation remain under discussion.
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