E-bikes have become the whipping boy of UK roads

E-bikes mean different things to different people, but in every guise this clever tech promises solutions to urban congestion, pollution, and sedentary lifestyles. Yet, they are fast becoming the scapegoat of a media determined to stoke moral panic rather than foster understanding.

This week, the BBC’s Panorama took aim. The programme, ostensibly addressing issues like over-powered delivery bikes equipped with retrofit kits, and the risk to pedestrians, has been criticised for perpetuating misconceptions.

Instead of delving into the nuances of the e-bike debate, the producers seemed to follow a familiar narrative: identify a problem and call for more regulation. Watching the programme unfold, it felt like an age before any distinction was made between legal e-bikes and illegal electric motorbikes.

The suggestion that many illegal e-bikes are subsidised by the Cycle to Work scheme seemed far fetched, and there was no guidance on how to avoid purchasing illegal vehicles. And the focus on pedestrians being hit by bikes on pavements conflated bad behaviour with the technology itself, ignoring the fact that regulating or banning e-bikes won’t address anti-social behaviour.

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E-bikes in the crosshairs

E-bikes have become an easy target for media that routinely overlook the primary threat on our roads: cars. With delivery bikes and miscategorised electric motorbikes dominating headlines, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. It's important because legal e-bikes (those that comply with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC) regulations) are relatively affordable, require no expensive recharging infrastructure, and are far more efficient than electric cars at reducing congestion and emissions. Yet, their potential is undermined by sensationalist reporting and a lack of public understanding.

The programme’s implicit call for tighter regulations ignores the real issue: enforcement. Existing laws governing e-bikes are adequate but poorly enforced, leaving consumers and law-abiding retailers at the mercy of unscrupulous sellers pushing illegal and unsafe products. Tighter regulations won’t solve this problem if they are as inconsistently applied as the current ones.

To counter this negative narrative, the government should enforce existing laws, and rationalise regulations to make them more streamlined and easy to understand.

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Other countries face similar challenges, but at the same time invest in subsidies and infrastructure to encourage uptake, much like the initiatives aimed at electric cars. After all, e-bikes have enormous potential to reshape our urban spaces. They can reduce car dependency, alleviate congestion, and make active travel accessible to a broader range of people. But this potential will remain unrealised if the public discourse continues to be dominated by scaremongering and misinformation.

With 25% of car trips in the UK covering less than a mile, and 71% less than five miles, the potential for e-bikes is enormous. All it would take is for the government to acknowledge the role e-bikes could play in making transport cleaner and more sustainable.

Rather than scapegoating e-bikes, we should celebrate their capacity to transform the way we travel. With better education, enforcement, and investment, these small but mighty vehicles could help create safer, cleaner, and more liveable streets for all.

Insurance for e-bikes

Our e-bike insurance includes everything you’d expect, like theft, accidental damage and vandalism cover – plus a few things you might not. For example, we have a no-quibble battery theft policy, zero devaluation for life, and if you break down on your electric bike, or run out of battery, you can call us 24/7 and we’ll arrange a rescue. Whether you ride a tricycle, folding, mountain or cargo electric bike, our comprehensive policy has you covered.

Every ETA cycle insurance policy includes the following as standard:

• Theft, accidental damage & vandalism
• E-bike battery theft cover
• Cycle Rescue (breakdown cover for your electric bicycle and you)
• No devaluation of your bike over time
• £2m third party PLUS £20,000 personal accident cover
• Shed and garage storage
• Low standard excess of 5% (£50 minimum)

Read a full list of everything we include as standard.

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