A University of Queensland study funded by Transport and Main Roads has found that half of the nearly one million e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards in Queensland households do not meet state standards. The devices were purchased at a cost of $2.2 billion.
Lead researcher Dr Richard Buning from UQ's Business School said adoption was widespread. One in three Queensland households owns a device, and 28 per cent of people in remote areas own one. For one in four owners, a private car is their only alternative. More than half of primary users of private devices are aged 50 or older, challenging the stereotype of a young hoon rider.
The most common compliance issues included top speed exceeding 25 km per hour, e-bikes exceeding 250 watts, and throttle-only bikes. While 98 per cent of owners reported wearing a helmet, 74 per cent of non-users expressed concern about riders going without. Users cited advantages including convenience, affordability, reduced car reliance, and environmental benefits. The average running cost was $140 a year.
Ownership is surging: 45 per cent of devices were bought since 2023, compared with 9 per cent before 2020. Over the same period, personal mobility device injury presentations at hospitals, mostly involving e-scooters, rose about 85 per cent, from 1083 in 2022 to 2000 cases in 2025. Buning cautioned that raw injury numbers need to be weighed against the number of trips and riders.
The Queensland government has responded with new laws including an assurance scheme that requires legal e-bike owners to pay up to $70 for a compliance sticker before the end of February 2027. An initial list of authorised verifiers will be released on November 2. Police have stronger seizure powers. Riders must hold a car driver's licence, be at least 16 to ride alone, and observe a 12 km per hour speed limit on footpaths.