E-bike legality, explained
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE MOTOR.
Many riders assume the motor determines whether a bike is road legal. Australian legislation adopts the EN 15194 standard, which assesses the complete electric drive system's "continuous output" rating.
“My motor says 500W, so my bike must be illegal.”
The most common thing we hear — and it's understandable. It's easy to assume the number printed on the motor or in the product listing is the number the law cares about. It isn't.
EN 15194 AS THE PRESCRIBED EPAC STANDARD.
The standard state governments now follow is EN 15194, the standard for electrically power-assisted cycles. It specifies a maximum continuous 250W output. What matters is how your system actually behaves on the road — not simply a label or nominal wattage printed on one component.
The key concept
What “continuous power” actually means
Continuous power is the level of power an electric drive system can sustain continuously under specified operating conditions without overheating. It is a measure of the system’s ongoing output — not its short-term peak capability, and not simply the rating stamped on the motor.
In normal riding, virtually every e-bike will briefly draw more power than its continuous rating when accelerating, climbing steep hills or carrying heavier loads. These short-duration increases are a normal characteristic of electric drive systems. Compliance is assessed against the system’s maximum continuous rated power, not these temporary peaks.
Importantly, continuous power is a characteristic of the complete electric drive system — not any one single component. The motor, controller, battery, display and firmware all work together to determine how the bike operates.
Speed & throttle rules
Your bike must only be capable of these limits
Alongside continuous output, compliance depends on what your bike is capable of — including through its settings. If the display or app allows the limits below to be exceeded, the bike isn't compliant, even if you never change those settings yourself.
Pedal assistance
Assistance must cut out at 25km/h. You can pedal faster — the system just stops helping.
Throttle (walk assist)
A throttle is only compliant if it's limited to 6km/h — a walk-assist function, not a ride mode.
No unlockable settings
The system must not be modifiable through its settings to exceed these limits.
Throttle goes faster than 6km/h? The simplest fix is to remove the throttle altogether — your bike then runs as a pedal-assist-only system, which is the configuration the standard is built around.
Where Ampd Bros stands
Our position: older models can be updated
The Queensland legislation adopts EN 15194 as the prescribed technical standard for road-legal electrically power-assisted cycles. In our review of the Act, the legislation focuses on whether a bicycle complies with that prescribed standard and does not expressly distinguish between a bicycle originally manufactured in that configuration and one subsequently updated by the manufacturer to operate within those same requirements.
What this means for older Ampd Bros models: our road models (including the ACE-X Plus and ACE-S Plus) were supplied in a factory-limited configuration of 250W continuous rated output with a 25km/h assistance cut-off, identified by the EN 15194 compliance sticker. It is Ampd Bros' opinion that, in their original factory configuration, these bikes complied with the previous wording of the requirements — and that, where technically appropriate, an existing bike can be updated to an EN 15194-compliant configuration under the current wording.
Our advice right now: sit tight. Queensland transport authorities are in active discussions with Ampd Bros regarding an assurance program under which older models will be eligible to be assessed and configured to meet the updated standards. TMR is expected to announce the program's details by the end of October 2026 — leave your bike in the configuration it was supplied in until then. We'll publish the details and contact affected customers as soon as they're confirmed.
Not every bike will follow the same path. Depending on its age, hardware revision and overall condition, an update may be straightforward, additional components may be required, or another compliance pathway may be more appropriate — and bikes that can't be updated may still be owned and used off-road on private property. Every assessment begins with an inspection at our Queensland headquarters (permanent throttle removal, where required, is approximately a 10-minute task).
Official documents
Certificates & compliance downloads
NSW approval certificates, EN15194 bike certificates and EN50604 battery certificates all live on our dedicated Compliance & Certification page — sorted by certificate type, then model and series.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
My bike motor says 500W. Does that automatically make it illegal?
In our view, not necessarily. The standard state governments follow — EN 15194 — specifies a continuous 250W output, not a "motor rating." The number printed on a motor or in a product listing isn't the figure the standard regulates. What matters is the sustained output your system is configured to deliver on the road.
Why does my bike briefly put out more than 250W?
Momentary spikes above the continuous figure — taking off from a standstill, climbing a steep hill — are a normal part of how electric drive systems operate. Continuous power is about what the system can sustain over a prolonged period without overheating, and that's what compliance comes down to.
My bike has a throttle. Is that a problem?
A throttle is only compliant if it's limited to 6km/h (walk assist). If your throttle can push the bike faster than that, the simplest fix is to remove the throttle altogether so the bike runs as a pedal-assist-only system.
I never touch the settings — does it matter that they could be changed?
Yes. The bike must not be capable of being modified through its settings to exceed the legal limits. If the display allows the speed limit or output to be raised beyond the thresholds, the bike isn't compliant regardless of how you personally use it.
Is my bike bought before the QLD law changes still legal to ride?
Our full position is set out above: in their original factory configuration, we consider these bikes complied with the previous requirements, and where technically appropriate they can be updated to the EN 15194 configuration. TMR is expected to announce its assurance program by the end of October 2026 — sit tight until then. Bikes that can't be brought within the scheme may still be owned and used off-road on private property.
Do I need a firmware update to stay compliant?
If your bike was supplied in the compliant configuration (identified by its EN 15194 sticker), there's no firmware update you need to perform yourself — leave the bike in the configuration in which it was supplied. If the QLD assurance program requires system changes for older models, we'll publish details here and contact affected customers.
Can you send me a compliance certificate for my individual bike?
We don't issue separate PDF certificates per bike. The physical EN 15194 compliance sticker fitted to your bike is the compliance identification confirming the configuration it was supplied in. Model-level certificates — NSW approvals, EN15194 bike certificates and EN50604 battery certificates — are available on our Compliance & Certification page.
Can you make my bike compliant?
If your bike is less than a year old, we can typically align your system with the compliant outputs and limits. If it's older than a year, we'd need it here in the shop to assess before advising on the best path forward.
Do these rules apply outside Queensland?
Yes — EN 15194 is the standard states across Australia now follow, so the same core limits apply nationally. Some states run their own supporting schemes (such as the NSW approval certificates above), and details can change — check your state transport authority for the current requirements, and if you're local, come in and we'll walk you through it.
Not sure where your bike stands?
Bring it in — we'll give you options on a path to compliance.
Visit us in store at Ampd QLDThis page is provided as general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. Road rules for e-bikes are set by state governments and may change — refer to your state transport authority for the current requirements.
