Electric Bicycle (250W / 500W, 36V / 48V Li-ion)

EN 15194 Compliance: The EU EPAC Standard

EN 15194:2017 is the mandatory standard for electrically power-assisted cycles (EPAC) in the European Union. Key requirements: motor rated power must not exceed 250W, motor assistance must cut off when the rider stops pedaling or reaches 25 km/h, and the battery system must meet electrical safety requirements. A CE-marked e-bike without EN 15194 compliance documentation is not legally an EPAC — it falls under L-category motorcycle type approval instead, requiring registration, insurance, and a driving license.

EN 15194 compliance requires testing at an accredited notified body and costs approximately €1,500–3,000 per bicycle model. Chinese factories supplying EU importers should already have this certification for their base frame/motor combinations. Our audit service verifies that the certification covers your specific battery-motor combination — changing from a 10Ah to 15Ah battery may void the existing type certificate and require re-testing.

Battery Cell Grade and BMS Protection

The battery pack is the highest-risk component for e-bikes. Samsung 21700 50E or LG M50T cells (3.6V, 5Ah) are the reference tier for branded wholesale buyers — generic cells lose 25–35% capacity within 200 cycles and generate inconsistent range claims. Require the factory to declare cell supplier and provide a cell spec sheet with cycle test data (capacity retention at 80% after 500 cycles minimum).

BMS (Battery Management System) protection functions to verify: overcharge protection (cuts at 4.2V per cell ±0.05V), overdischarge protection (cuts at 2.75–3.0V per cell), overcurrent protection (triggers at <150% of rated discharge current), and cell balancing during charging. UN 38.3 certification is required for air freight of lithium battery packs — without it, most air freight forwarders will not accept the shipment. Our inspection service can verify BMS protection thresholds and cell balancing behavior on production samples. See our automotive electronics industry page for more on vehicle-grade electronics certification requirements.