Beijing to Begin Fines for Non-Standard Scooters in November

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Authorities announced yesterday that starting in November 2021, Beijing will finally begin fining riders who take to the road on electric scooters that do not meet the national standards set out at the beginning of the previous decade.

Noting that non-standard scooters were still a common site, the local legislature passed a measure in 2018 announcing a transitionary period of three years – a period that is about to come to a close in just three months’ time.

Now, local media is reporting that authorities are working with scooter dealers to implement a trade-in program so that riders of non-standard scooters can purchase standardized models at a discount when they trade in their old model to be scrapped and recycled.
advertisementLimited weight and speed

What exactly are these standards? As you may have heard, the main standards have to do with maximum speed and weight

• Speed: Scooters must not be capable of surpassing 25 kilometers per hour. That is, the scooter must be programmed to kill the motor when reaching 25 kilometers per hour.

• Weight: Scooter weight must not exceed 55 kilograms excluding the battery.

What are the penalties?

While we don’t yet know how exactly enforcement will look, we do know that violators will face fines between RMB 50-300 for riding an out-of-standard scooter.

However, those who tamper with their scooter in a way that puts it in violation (e.g. altering the scooter’s firmware to allow it to exceed 25 kilometers per hour) will face a fine of up to RMB 1000.

Image: Joey Knotts

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