BRUSSELS, Belgium - Which battery cabinet provides sufficient protection when an e-bike battery catches fire? Many bicycle industry entrepreneurs are uncertain about the products available. The German VDMA 24994 standard is intended to help separate the good from the bad. According to Bart van de Broek of Dutch financial services provider Nationale-Nederlanden, it will soon be clear whether this standard will also apply across all of Europe.

Due to the embargoes applied to China, European bicycle manufacturers turning to the domestic market for e-bike production might likely direct their attention to Turkey.

WASHINGTON, USA - The latest publication by the US Trade Representative (USTR) regarding tariff action has not brought any clarification whether the import of lithium-ion batteries for e-bikes from China will be hit by a 25% additional duty. "Some ambiguity remains on what the announcement means for existing bicycle products receiving exclusions from Section 301 tariffs," writes PeopleForBikes, Policy Counsel Matt Moore in a statement today.

WASHINGTON, USA - The number of e-bike battery related fires in the city of New York has resulted in bipartisan support in Congress for legislation to develop standards for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries. According to safety experts this regulation is the only option to limit the number of e-bike fires. What do cycling organisations and the industry expect of this legislation?

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Massive investments in battery production supported by state aid from the Chinese government could eventually lead to the initiation of trade defence measures, including anti-dumping duties, by the European Commission. It may sound contradictory now the market for e-bikes and e-car is rising so quickly, but battery production grows so rapidly that this could become a serious problem in the medium term.

LONDON, UK - Quality issues with e-bike battery chargers have caused reasons for concern in the UK but also in EU countries. One of the largest online sellers of e-bike chargers and conversion kits, Wish.com has banned the sales of the products citing safety risks. Yet there are serious concerns about the enforcement of the new policy.