European Cycling Industries (ECI) has launched an industry self-commitment and published a manifesto and position paper calling for stronger action against e-bike (EPAC) tuning and non-compliant products.
The initiative was presented at a European bicycle industry meeting in Brussels on September 29. Germany’s ZIV – Die Fahrradindustrie and Zukunft Fahrrad also signed the commitment and plan to develop a German version with joint measures.
Focus on Tuning Kits and Market Surveillance
The German initiative will focus on curbing the uncontrolled trade in e-bike tuning kits, following the French approach, and strengthening targeted enforcement by police, customs and market surveillance authorities against non-compliant e-bikes, which the associations said are mainly imported.
ECI’s Manifesto for a Safe and Compliant EU Market calls for four measures: an EU-wide ban on the sale of EPAC tampering kits, a European evidence database on the impacts of non-compliant EPACs, stronger market surveillance, and improved local enforcement capabilities to identify non-compliant or modified EPACs.
ECI Defines “State-of-the-Art” Anti-Tampering Measures
ECI’s position paper on EPAC anti-tampering sets out “state-of-the-art” measures for manufacturers and market surveillance authorities.
ECI’s proposed measures include cryptographically verified software updates with anti-rollback protection, stronger access controls, mutual authentication between key components, and plausibility checks combining speed signals with parameters such as cadence, motor speed, wheel circumference, acceleration and torque.
ECI states that app-based settings, button combinations, default PIN codes and inadequately protected software or communication interfaces do not provide sufficient state-of-the-art anti-tampering protection.
ZIV CEO Burkhard Stork said the paper provides clearer guidance for distinguishing compliant EPACs from tuned or tunable vehicles that no longer qualify as EPACs. Zukunft Fahrrad Managing Director Wasilis von Rauch said the technical definition provides European institutions and other stakeholders with a reference for protecting the compliant e-bike market.
ECI also notes that EN 15194:2017+A1:2023 and CEN/TS 17831:2023 provide the existing framework for EPAC compliance, while further review and development of the standards is ongoing.
Germany’s E-Bike Fleet Exceeds 17 Million
According to ZIV, e-bikes accounted for more than half of bicycle sales in Germany in 2025, while the country’s e-bike fleet has exceeded 17 million units.
ECI also highlights broader compliance concerns involving products sold directly to European consumers by non-EU suppliers through online marketplaces. It calls for stronger cross-border market surveillance, removal of non-compliant products from online marketplaces, and clear accountability for imported products within the EU.
ZIV and Zukunft Fahrrad plan to develop the German self-commitment and joint measures. The two associations also plan to merge in 2027 to form a single German trade association representing the bicycle industry.
Photo: ZIV
