European Cycling Industries Sought E-Bike Regulation
The trade group has requested EU-wide intervention to combat non-compliant electric bikes and improve safety.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Cycling
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European Cycling Industries has released a new manifesto and position paper urging standardized EU-wide action against e-bike tampering. The move aims to mitigate safety risks and prevent unfair competition from manufacturers that bypass critical security requirements.
Why it matters
Responsible manufacturers are struggling with unfair competition from operators that avoid necessary safety costs, while non-compliant bikes present significant risks to riders. These new technical benchmarks represent an effort to stabilize the market as e-bikes become the dominant form of cycling transport.
E-bikes now account for over 50% of bicycle sales in Germany and represent more than 70% of the total market value in the Netherlands. Currently, there are more than 17 million e-bikes in circulation within Germany.
The players
European Cycling Industries
This is a trade representative organization that coordinates policy and advocacy for the bicycle manufacturing sector across the European Union.
The details
The proposed anti-tampering measures urge manufacturers to implement cryptographically verified software updates and secure component authentication systems. Additionally, the industry is calling for sensor plausibility checks and tamper-resistant logging to ensure critical parameters cannot be altered by unauthorized users.
Timeline
The original industry commitment against tampering was established in 2021.
E-bikes made up over half of all German bicycle sales throughout 2025.
European Cycling Industries released the new manifesto and position paper on September 29, 2026.
A revised version of the European technical standard 15194:2017+A1:2023 is expected in Q4 2026.
Season Trajectory
This proposal marks a pivot from voluntary industry efforts toward a push for mandatory EU-wide regulatory enforcement. It follows the precedent of the existing European standard 15194:2017+A1:2023, which is now slated for a critical update to address modern software security gaps.
Standardized anti-tampering protocols will likely lead to more secure software updates for e-bike owners and potentially higher resale values for certified models. Riders should expect future hardware to include more robust component authentication that may limit third-party modifications.
The takeaway
As e-bikes capture the majority of market share in major European economies, the focus of the industry is shifting toward digital security and software integrity. Riders should be aware that future regulations will likely prioritize tamper-resistant systems to ensure long-term road safety.
What happens next
The European Union is expected to publish a revised technical standard, 15194:2017+A1:2023, in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Further reading
For more on the evolving standards governing the industry, visit the Cycling section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by BikeBiz.
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