The NSW Government has announced the introduction of two separate product safety standards in a bid to reduce the risks posed by e-micromobility products, which are increasingly being linked to fires when built with low quality components or used or charged incorrectly.
According to the latest Fire and Rescue NSW data, e-micromobility vehicles caused 193 fires between 2022 and 2025, with the rate of fires caused by these devices continuing to rise each year.
From 1 February, all retailers and manufacturers can only sell e-micromobility devices in NSW with components that comply with the newly prescribed safety standards.
During 2025, NSW Fair Trading will be conducting education-focussed compliance activities for the first stage of safety standards, to ensure traders know their responsibilities under the new rules. Compliance officers will start the first phase of education-focussed compliance activities from 24 February.
“We know poorly designed and built lithium-ion batteries present a real and potentially life-threatening risk to consumers, contributing to more than one fire per week across NSW,” said NSW Fair Trading Commissioner, Natasha Mann.
“This is unacceptable and the new product safety and information standards now in effect will help drive up the quality of these products and better protect consumers, their homes, and their property.
“NSW Fair Trading will enforce compliance through educating businesses about their requirements, but in the case of serious or multiple breaches there will be warnings and potentially penalties.”
Further standards for e-micromobility vehicles on mandatory testing and certification as well as mandatory labelling requirements come into effect in August 2025 and February 2026 respectively, the Government today confirmed.
When these standards come into effect, businesses selling non-compliant e-micromobility vehicles will be subject to penalties of up to $825,000.
To complement the new safety standards, the Government has also introduced a new Australian-first information standard for e-micromobility vehicles.
The new information standard will cover product safety information, fire safety and emergency procedures, product end of life and storage, as well as electrical safety and advice on road rules.
To provide businesses time to comply with the new information standard, the Government says NSW Fair Trading will focus on educating retailers about their responsibilities in the first six months of compliance activities.
From 1 August 2025, if the new e-micromobility information standard is not provided at point of sale, retailers could be subject to penalties of up to $5,500 for each breach.
The formal introduction of both standards by the Government puts NSW at the forefront of regulating lithium-ion battery powered e-micromobility devices in Australia, said Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Anoulack Chanthivong.
“E-micromobility products will keep growing in popularity, but as they become more widespread, we need to do more to make sure they are safe,” the Minister said.
“That’s why we’ve moved quickly to introduce this raft of regulatory changes, which have been put in place to protect lives and property from the devastating damage they can cause if the products are unsafe or used incorrectly.
“NSW now has the strongest regulatory framework in Australia when dealing with the risks posed by e-micromobility vehicles, setting a best-practice example for jurisdictions around the country.
“We will bring the lessons NSW has learnt during this process while exploring a national approach to regulations for these types of products with other jurisdictions around Australia.”
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said the organisation welcomed the new e-micromobility information standards.
“Three people have died within the last 12 months in NSW from fires involving lithium-ion battery-powered bikes,” said Commissioner Fewtrell.
“These measures will provide retailers, manufacturers and consumers with critical compliance guidelines to protect lives and property.”
For more information on the e-micromobility product safety standards, visit the webpage on new standards for lithium-ion batteries in e-micromobility devices. For more information on the e-micromobility information standards, visit the webpage on lithium-ion battery safety.
