About half of private e-mobility devices non-compliant, survey finds

About half of privately owned e-mobility devices in Queensland are non-compliant, according to a government-funded survey that shows it is now a "mainstream" transport option.

The study also found there are close to one million privately owned devices across the state, including 587,000 e-bikes, with a third of e-bike riders aged over 60.

The research, funded by Transport and Main Roads, is based on 3,464 responses collected from March to May via online platforms and a postcard sent to households.

University of Queensland's Dr Richard Buning said devices were classified as non-compliant based on participants' self-reported speed, power and throttle characteristics.

The most common issue reported by owners was having a maximum speed exceeding 25km/h, followed by e-bikes exceeding 250W.

Queensland University of Technology researcher Narelle Haworth, who was not involved in the study, said the number of devices reported as being non-compliant was "scary".

Non-compliance a 'big problem'

Professor Howarth said she did not expect the number to be so high and it suggested there was a "big problem" with compliance and work for the government to do.

"That may not necessarily mean that devices are being used in a non-compliant way," she said.

In Queensland, e-mobility devices that do not meet the standards can be sold for use on private property, and retailers must not mislead customers about where they can be used. 

Under the new laws, from March next year all e-bikes must meet the  European Standard EN 15194, or be verified through the government’s assurance scheme, and display a sticker indicating their compliance. 

Professor Howarth said further research was needed to understand whether those who had a non-compliant device knew when they bought it to inform the best response.

Since new laws came into effect in July, Queensland police have seized 600 e-bikes that do not meet the European Standard EN1519, with Police Minister Dan Purdie saying the "majority" had been destroyed.

The rate of compliance differed between devices, Dr Buning said, with 65 per cent of e-bikes found to be compliant compared to 45 per cent of other e-devices, including e-skateboards and e-unicycles.

"If you look at it altogether, it seems bad, but you look at the actual specific types of devices, and who is using them, the picture changes a little bit," he said.

"It is hard to know how many people bought an unsafe, uncompliant device and knew that it was."

He said it was difficult to determine compliance for e-scooters due to an absence of strict specifications.

Dr Buning said it was important to educate riders when they buy the device on where and how it can be ridden legally.

"I'm sure there are a lot of upset folks out there and parents that have purchased these devices, these unsafe illegal ones, and they can't ride them or worry about riding them," he said.

Not just young people

The survey found a third of e-bike users are over 60 years old and the average age of an e-scooter owner is 37, which Dr Buning said countered the perception of the typical user.

More than 98 per cent of owners also reported wearing a helmet while riding.

"The majority isn't young people using them doing bad things, the majority is actually older people wanting to stay active and stay part of their community," he said.

"Highly visible unsafe behaviour from people doing the wrong thing is certainly obscuring public opinion on the devices overall."

Dr Buning said it is the first study to estimate the number of privately owned e-mobility devices, with figures previously drawn from data on crashes, fines and injuries.

He said it showed e-mobility had grown to become a reliable form of public transport that "is not going anywhere" and needed the focus and infrastructure to match.

RACQ’s executive manager of public policy Michael Kane welcomed the first-of-its-kind study.

 “This is a part of our future and the more we understand and the more we can make improvements to the ecosystem,” he said. 

“The reality is any new transport technology has positives and minuses, and you really need to encourage the positive in the good outcome, and then you do need to regulate and address the negatives.”

In response to questions about the report's findings, a Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said since the research was undertaken the state government had introduced "stronger laws and enforcement to improve e-mobility safety and compliance".

The spokesperson said the changes aimed to make Queensland safer, alongside extensive education for riders, parents, schools and retailers.