The core message has remained consistent: e-bikes are a practical, low-cost way to travel, but consumers need clear guidance on what counts as a legal, compliant e-bike\u2014and why certain aftermarket batteries, chargers and conversion kits can carry higher risk if they\u2019re poor quality, mismatched or incorrectly installed. From 2026, BA and ACT say they will build on that foundation by evolving E-Bike Positive into a broader \u201cassurance\u201d initiative, designed to steer the public towards reputable retailers and trustworthy products.<\/p>\n
![\"E-Bike](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/E-Bike-Positive-2.webp.webp\")
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Why the campaign is changing hands<\/p>\n
In the embargoed announcement, the organisations describe the handover as the next logical step for a campaign that was always intended to become industry-wide and independent. While Bosch helped originate and grow the initiative, the new arrangement places day-to-day guardianship with the two trade bodies that represent much of the UK cycling supply chain and retail network.<\/p>\n
Steve Garidis, Executive Director of the Bicycle Association, said the BA was \u201cdelighted\u201d to adopt E-Bike Positive alongside the ACT, describing it as an \u201cideal umbrella\u201d for cross-industry work to promote safe and legal e-bikes. Jonathan Harrison, Director of the Association of Cycle Traders, said the move enables the trade to launch a new assurance scheme under a banner that\u2019s already recognised by consumers, while also thanking retailers who have supported the campaign so far.<\/p>\n
Bosch, meanwhile, framed the change as the fulfilment of an original goal: to place the campaign into wider industry control. Chris Astle, UK Marketing Manager for Bosch eBike Systems, said collaboration will continue, particularly around battery safety education.<\/p>\n
Related Articles<\/p>\n
![\"E-Bike](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5.webp.webp\")
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What \u201cassurance\u201d could mean in practice<\/p>\n
The press release states that around 400 UK e-bike retailers have already backed the campaign by signing a pledge to only sell and repair legal e-bikes. That retailer-facing element is likely to become more important if E-Bike Positive develops into something closer to a recognisable trust mark or best-practice scheme\u2014particularly as shoppers try to distinguish between specialist retailers and the increasingly busy mix of online marketplaces, grey imports and modified bikes being advertised as \u201ce-bikes\u201d.<\/p>\n
For the Cycling Electric audience, the practical takeaway is simple: expect the campaign to stay visible, but with a clearer emphasis on \u201cbuying well\u201d and spotting what\u2019s compliant. If you want a refresher on what a UK-legal e-bike actually is\u2014and where the legal line sits\u2014you can start with our explainer on the regulations (Electric bikes and the law: E-bike rules and regulations<\/a>).<\/p>\n Battery anxiety isn\u2019t going away\u2014so neither is the messaging<\/p>\n E-bike battery safety has become one of the most misunderstood parts of the category, particularly when news coverage treats every incident as an \u201ce-bike fire\u201d story without distinguishing between factory-built systems and heavily modified bikes using unknown batteries or chargers. Cycling Electric has repeatedly explored that nuance, including a wider look at where the risk narrative comes from and how it can be misrepresented (Are e-bike fires the threat we\u2019re told they are?<\/a>).<\/p>\n The campaign\u2019s stated focus on the risks of aftermarket lithium-ion batteries, chargers and conversion kits also mirrors the direction of recent UK discussions around product standards and enforcement. If you\u2019re looking for background on why conversion kits have been placed under the microscope, our report on lab testing and the pressure on that market is a useful place to begin (Unprecedented lab testing vindicates e-bikes of fire risk and piles pressure on conversion kit market<\/a>). For retailers and workshops, we\u2019ve also covered the growing emphasis on liability and insurance implications when working on converted bikes (Bike shops reminded \u201cyou are liable\u201d when working on electric bike conversion kits<\/a>).<\/p>\n For everyday owners, much of \u201cbattery safety\u201d comes down to boring but important habits\u2014using the correct charger, avoiding damaged equipment, and charging in a way that reduces risk at home. Cycling Electric has practical guidance on day-to-day charging routines as well as broader context on how major brands build safety into complete e-bike systems (E-bike batteries: How major brands guarantee your safety<\/a>).<\/p>\n The bigger picture: protecting confidence in e-bikes<\/p>\n The BA\/ACT stewardship arrives at a time when e-bikes sit at the centre of a tricky balancing act. On one hand, they\u2019re one of the most effective tools the UK has for reducing car dependence on short trips and making cycling accessible to more people. On the other, public confidence can be undermined quickly when illegal or unsafe products circulate widely, or when \u201ce-bike\u201d becomes a catch-all label for bikes that are, in reality, closer to mopeds in performance and classification.<\/p>\n That\u2019s where E-Bike Positive is trying to draw a clear line: normalising legal, factory-built e-bikes sold through reputable channels, while pushing back against the products and practices most likely to cause harm\u2014and the headlines that follow. From 1 January 2026, the UK cycling industry will be putting its name directly behind that message.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The UK\u2019s E-Bike Positive campaign will be jointly adopted by the Bicycle Association (BA) and the Association of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":320425,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[64,63,784,125228,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-320424","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-cycling","11":"tag-ebikes","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320424"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320424\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/320425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"E-Bike](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/E-Bike-Positive-3.webp.webp\")
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