NSW E-Bike Riders Could Require Licence Plates Under Opposition Plan

Premier Chris Minns is also looking to reduce e-bike power and speed.

A delivery driver is seen riding an e-bike in Melbourne, Australia, on June 17, 2025. AAP Image/James Ross

The New South Wales (NSW) Liberal Party is proposing to make e-bike delivery drivers and children under 18 obtain a licence plate.

Deputy Liberal leader Natalie Ward said riders over 18 using the devices in a private capacity would be exempt.

“Coming soon to an e-bike rider near you. Under the NSW Opposition’s policy, if you are under 18, use an e-bike for a commercial purpose or run a shared service scheme, you will be required to have a licence plate,” she said.

“Sensible solutions for common issues in the community.”

Shadow Assistant Minister for Education and Government Accountability Matt Cross drew attention to growing concerns around e-bike safety.

“There has been a lot of attention on the safety and regulation of e-bikes in our community. That’s why the NSW Liberals and Nationals will introduce a nation-leading e-bike licence plate scheme for certain riders, including children under 18, delivery drivers and shared-service schemes,” he said on Facebook.

“Our low-cost e-bike licence plates will keep young riders and commercial users accountable while also educating our children about how to safely use these devices.”

Alarm Bells Over E-Bikes

NSW Police have urged parents not to feel pressured into buying the most powerful bike this Christmas, saying they should do their research and only buy “legal e-bikes” for their children.

“If you are considering buying an e-bike for Christmas, make sure it complies with NSW law,” Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander Assistant Commissioner David Driver said on Dec. 2.

“Police don’t want someone to make a mistake that costs them their life or causes them serious injury. We don’t want a Christmas present to become the ultimate buyer’s regret.”

Driver said the police had seen more bikes fitted with powerful motors, urging parents to take responsibility to make sure the e-bike was not modified.

“We need riders to understand the dangers of riding on one wheel, without a helmet or in the dark with no lights. An e-bike is illegal if it has a greater power output than 500 watts, even if it is limited by software. Parents must remain vigilant and be aware of how easy it can be to modify the bike,” he said.

Premier Looking to Lower E-Bike Speeds

NSW currently has the fastest and most powerful e-bikes in the country, raising questions about e-bike safety in the community.

In response to a string incidents, Labor Premier Chris Minns is looking into changing e-bike regulations, including speed limits.

Minns suspected that in some cases, the limiters on e-bikes had been removed, but others were legally sold e-bikes.

“It’s just that we’ve got a far higher limit in New South Wales compared to every other jurisdiction in the country,” he said on 2GB on Dec. 2.

“As a result, we are contemplating a pretty serious change. NSW is the only state where you can legally purchase an e-bike with 500 watts of power, and we want to make a change to reduce that to 250 watts. It’s a significant change.”

Under the proposed changes, e-bike speed limits could be reduced to 20 to 30 kilometres per hour, down from 50 to 60 kilometres per hour.

“Every other state, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, has limited to that model, the 250-watt model. We think we need to do it in New South Wales too,” he said.

“Even legally purchased, in some cases, fast bikes have a 500-watt limiter which means they can go as fast as a car, and as a result, people are going to get hurt.”

Minns said he hadn’t bought his kids an e-bike for Christmas.

“I worry about them. We spend a lot of time on the road in my job and I’ve seen some, particularly young kids on bikes that are more like motorbikes.

“There’s very little pedalling going on. They seem to be keeping up with the traffic which means that they are travelling at 50 or 60 kilometres an hour.”