The owner of a Norwich e-bike shop has blamed misleading press coverage of e-bikes, and the Panorama episode fronted by Adrian Chiles in particular, for a drop-off in trade that has resulted in his shop’s closure. Mark Watkin opened e-Velo in Halesworth, Suffolk, in 2015 and subsequently expanded into premises in the Royal Arcade in Norwich last summer. However, both shops have now been forced to close. Watkin said that alarmist media coverage of e-bikes had played a significant part.
Aren’t you basically doing what this shop owner is complaining about? Conflating properly regulated, speed-limited e-bikes (which are mostly pedal-assist) with overpowered, illegal imports that function more like motorbikes (often with a throttle).
Admittedly, the line can blur, especially with unregulated imports bypassing local laws. But in places with sensible regulations, e-bikes are capped at speeds like 25 km/h—slower than conventional bikes can reach, but that’s a good thing, given their added weight and potential for greater harm in collisions.
The battery issue is real, but it’s not unique to e-bikes. Cheap, poorly made power cells plague everything from hoverboards to scooters. The problem isn’t e-bikes themselves—it’s sketchy imports circumventing safety standards.