The Daily Mail found Amazon listings made it easy for U.K. customers to buy conversion kits that produce e‑bikes exceeding legal limits on power and speed. Police report an 83% rise in illegal e‑bike seizures and link high‑speed conversions to robberies and a fatal collision in Sunderland. MPs and safety groups are pushing to ban high‑powered kits and restrict online sales, while Amazon says it is removing the products and requires seller testing certification.
UK Officials Say Amazon Made Illegal E‑Bike Conversion Kits Too Easy to Buy After Fatal Crash
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Until recently, U.K. shoppers searching Amazon could readily find e‑bike conversion kits that turn ordinary bicycles into powerful electric vehicles exceeding British legal limits for motor power and assisted speed. Authorities say those high‑speed conversions have been linked to thefts, muggings and at least one fatal collision.
What Investigations Found
Listings on Amazon included kits selling for under £500 (about $668), the Daily Mail reported, and some products advertised 2,000‑watt motors claiming top speeds near 40 mph. A newspaper reporter bought a 500‑watt kit, paid roughly £200 to have it fitted at a South‑East London bike shop and ended up with a bicycle capable of exceeding 25 mph.
Legal Limits and Rising Seizures
Under U.K. law, an electrically assisted pedal cycle is legal only if its motor is capped at 250 watts and assistance cuts out at 15.5 mph. Anything more powerful or faster is treated as a moped or motorbike and must be registered, taxed and insured.
Police forces across England and Wales report a sharp rise in illegal e‑bikes: seizures rose 83%, from 3,858 to 7,049, in the 12 months to May 19. The Metropolitan Police said an operation targeting e‑bike muggers produced 187 arrests and the seizure of 157 e‑bikes, mopeds and other vehicles.
Human Cost and Public Concern
The dangers were underlined by the death of 86‑year‑old Gloria Stephenson, who was struck while crossing a zebra crossing in Sunderland by a teenager riding an illegal e‑bike. That machine was reportedly marketed with a top speed of 47 mph and a 0–30 mph sprint time of 2.7 seconds.
MPs and safety groups warn that fast, modified e‑bikes are being used in crimes such as phone theft and muggings because their speed and agility make rapid attacks and escapes easier.
'It is completely unacceptable that major online platforms like Amazon make it so easy to buy 500W or 2,000W motors to convert an ordinary bicycle into a machine capable of car‑like speeds,' said Labour MP Julie Minns, who has proposed a Private Member's Bill to ban the sale of illegal conversion kits.
Responses From Platforms and Government
Amazon told the Daily Mail it is removing the products in question and requires sellers of e‑mobility products to provide documented testing certification from an accredited lab. A government spokesman reiterated that e‑bikes modified to be faster or more powerful than the rules allow are classed as motorbikes and are illegal on public roads unless registered, taxed and insured. Officials added that police now have stronger powers to seize vehicles without warning and that authorities are cracking down on unsafe products sold online.
What’s Next
Calls for tougher action increasingly focus on online marketplaces and sellers rather than only on the riders. MPs, safety groups and law enforcement are urging bans or stricter marketplace controls on high‑powered conversion kits and devices that de‑restrict speed.
Note: This report is based on the Daily Mail investigation and official statements from police, MPs and spokespeople for Amazon and the government.
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