Will Australia Adopt 45km/h Speed Pedelecs? The Future of E-Bike Laws

If you feel like Australian electric bike laws are constantly shifting, you aren't imagining things. Right now, the country is facing a massive fork in the road regarding how fast and how powerful our e-bikes are legally allowed to be.

While some states are cracking down and tightening restrictions, others are looking overseas to Europe and the USA, actively exploring the introduction of faster, high-power "speed pedelecs."

Here is exactly what is happening on the front lines of Australian e-bike legislation, and what it means for your daily commute.

The Crackdown: NSW and the 2029 EN15194 Mandate In New South Wales, the government is taking a hardline approach to regulate the surge of high-powered, uncertified electric bikes on public roads.

By March 1, 2029, NSW will mandate that only e-bikes meeting the strict European safety standard (EN15194) will be road legal. This standard caps the maximum continuous power output at 250 watts and requires the pedal assistance to completely cut out once the bike reaches 25 km/h. 

The goal here is safety—ensuring that bicycles behave like bicycles, rather than unregistered motorcycles.

The Alternative: Tasmania's 45km/h "Speed Pedelec" Proposal

Just as NSW tightens its grip, the Tasmanian Government has released a green paper exploring a completely different approach. To encourage more people to ditch their cars for sustainable transport, especially for longer commutes, Tasmania is considering relaxing the rules.

One of the major options proposed in their reform paper is to add a completely new class of "speed e-bikes" (speed pedelecs). This would allow for e-bikes with higher power limits and speed assistance up to a thrilling 45 km/h.

If this proposal passes, it could set a massive precedent for the rest of Australia, finally giving long-distance commuters a legal way to keep up with faster-moving city traffic.

What Does This Mean for EWHIP Riders? At EWHIP, we engineer our bikes so you never have to guess if you are on the right side of the law. Right now, models like The Captain and The Boom are meticulously built to comply with the strict EN15194 standards, ensuring you are 100% street-legal in NSW and across the country today, tomorrow, and past the 2029 transition.

But as riders ourselves, we are watching the Tasmanian 45km/h proposal closely. If the Australian legal landscape evolves to embrace speed pedelecs, you can bet the EWHIP fleet will evolve right alongside it.