China started to implement new national standards for electric bicycles on April 15. A qualified electric bicycle must have pedal functions and its speed cannot surpass 25 kilometers per hour, according to standards issued last May.
The vehicle's weight, including battery, shall not exceed 55 kilograms and the motor power and battery voltage should not exceed 400 Watts and 48 volts respectively.
Additional technical requirements including tamper-proof, fireproof and charger protection systems are also included in the new standards, replacing the ones issued in 1999.
Vehicles that do not meet requirements will be classified as electric motorcycles, which need license plates and drivers' licenses.
Many travel companies have already been involved in shared electric bicycles or the electric-powered vehicle business. Bike-sharing company Mobike launched electric-powered vehicles as early as July 2018, the report said.
Prior to that, Didi Chuxing promoted shared electric bicycles in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, and Hello-Chuxing also received considerable per-capita orders for electric-powered vehicles.
In the domestic market, people's attitude toward electric bicycle-sharing changes from place to place. Transportation administrations in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Hangzhou stated they won't develop shared electric bicycles due to potential risks caused by charging such vehicles.