MIIT Responds to Complaints That “Some Electric Bikes Aren’t User‑Friendly”

Electric Bicycle Safety Technical Specification (GB 17761—2024)

Key Points

 

Quick takeaway: What investors, founders and product teams need to know about the new e‑bike safety standard

GB 17761—2024 is changing electric bike design across China.

More than 100 manufacturers and over 600 models have already earned China Compulsory Certification (CCC 强制性产品认证, CCC).

At the same time, some consumers have complained that a few new models trade away everyday convenience for safety compliance.

 

Overview: Why MIIT weighed in

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (Gōngyè hé Xìnxī Huàbù 工业和信息化部, MIIT) publicly responded after consumer feedback said some newly produced electric bicycles are not sufficiently user‑friendly.

The Consumer Goods Industry Department confirmed the transitional period for the revised mandatory national standard, Electric Bicycle Safety Technical Specification (GB 17761—2024), ended on November 30, 2025.

Compliant models are being introduced to market while a small number of products have drawn complaints about saddle design, rear racks, mirrors and other features.

 

Why the standard changed: safety first, but also functionality

MIIT said GB 17761—2024 was revised to reduce and eliminate safety risks across the product lifecycle.

The goals include lowering the risk of fires and traffic accidents related to electric bicycles.

The revision also explicitly seeks to improve functional practicality, product diversity, rider comfort and convenience, while at the same time tightening safety requirements.

 

Where the market stands today — compliance and rollout

The Consumer Goods Industry Department reported that more than 100 manufacturers and over 600 models have obtained CCC and are being rolled out to the market.

The department said most of these models meet consumer needs adequately.

But they acknowledged that a few enterprises did not fully or accurately interpret the new standard during product design.

Those design misreads have led to models that some consumers consider insufficiently user‑friendly.

 

Common consumer complaints — concrete design issues

Consumer reports and industry feedback have focused on several recurring issues:

• Reduced practicality of seating and carrying capacity: Some new models have smaller or narrower rear seats and reduced cargo space, making it difficult or unsafe to carry children, install child seats, or store everyday items.
• Comfort issues: To meet fire‑resistant material and weight limits (including limits on plastic part ratios), some manufacturers replaced traditional soft sponge saddles with harder materials, producing complaints about ride comfort — “icy” seats in winter and uncomfortably hot surfaces in summer.
• Design tradeoffs affecting everyday use: Changes to body panels, fenders, and storage compartments to reduce weight or fire risk have left riders with fewer places to stow helmets, rain gear, chargers and other items, hurting convenience.
• Speed and emergency response: The new standard caps design speed at 25 km/h and requires power cutoff when that speed is exceeded (this cutoff is not an emergency braking action). While that reduces high‑speed accident risk, some commuters say it lengthens travel time and can create risky moments when a rider needs to momentarily accelerate to avoid an obstacle but the motor cuts out.
• Higher purchase prices: Producers report higher costs for fire‑resistant materials, anti‑tamper measures and, for some models, mandated location modules. End prices have generally risen by several hundred to over a thousand yuan compared with previous models; some reports cite average increases of about ¥800 RMB ($111 USD).

 

MIIT’s guidance to manufacturers and trade groups

The MIIT’s Consumer Goods Industry Department instructed industry participants to act quickly on several fronts.

First, companies should optimize product design schemes to better reflect real consumer needs — especially for seating, racks and mirror placement — while still meeting the new safety requirements.

Second, manufacturers should accelerate production and market supply of models that both comply with GB 17761—2024 and deliver satisfactory user experience.

Third, MIIT asked industry groups to support implementation by coordinating education and self‑discipline.

Specifically, the department will work with the China Bicycle Association (Zhōngguó Zìxíngchē Xiéhuì 中国自行车协会) to strengthen industry self‑discipline, intensify promotion and explanation of the new standard, and organize member companies to implement the standard comprehensively and accurately.

 

Next steps and practical implications for stakeholders

The department will continue to closely monitor consumer feedback and push manufacturers to improve R&D and product design so that compliant models are also practical and comfortable for everyday use.

MIIT emphasized that issues with a few models do not represent the entire industry.

Regulators and trade groups will work with companies to expand the supply of new‑standard models that satisfy consumers’ mobility needs.

 

What this means for investors, founders and product teams

If you build, fund, or design electric bicycles, these are the practical takeaways:

• Design tradeoffs are real: Safety requirements force material and structure changes that can reduce comfort or storage — and create user complaints.
• Opportunity for differentiation: Brands that solve comfort and cargo tradeoffs while staying compliant will stand out.
• Cost pressures: New materials and modules raise component costs and retail prices, creating both margin and adoption considerations.
• Regulatory alignment matters: Accurate interpretation of GB 17761—2024 is critical; misreads lead to costly redesigns and reputational risk.
• Channel and communications: Clear marketing and user education around the new features and safety tradeoffs will reduce confusion and support adoption.

 

How to watch the rollout

Track the number of CCC‑certified models and pay attention to consumer feedback channels for recurring complaints about specific design elements.

Watch collaborations between manufacturers and the China Bicycle Association (Zhōngguó Zìxíngchē Xiéhuì 中国自行车协会) as an early signal of coordinated product corrections and educational efforts.

Expect iterative design updates as R&D teams respond to user pain points within the constraints of GB 17761—2024.

 

Bottom line

The update to the Electric Bicycle Safety Technical Specification (GB 17761—2024) aims to make e‑bikes safer and more reliable across their lifecycle.

That objective is aligned with broader public safety goals, but it creates short‑term tension between compliance and everyday user experience.

Manufacturers that bridge that gap — by rethinking seating, cargo solutions, materials and power management — will capture attention from consumers and investors alike.

 

Electric Bicycle Safety Technical Specification (GB 17761—2024)

 

References

• 工信部回应“个别电动车不够人性化” – 工信微报
• 工信部回应“个别电动车不够人性化” – 东方财富
• GB 17761—2024: Electric Bicycle Safety Technical Specification – National Standardization Management