London’s Metropolitan Police have already confiscated more illegal e-bikes and e-scooters in 2026 than during the entirety of last year, as authorities continue an aggressive enforcement campaign targeting illegally modified micromobility vehicles.
The BBC reports that officers have seized more than 2,500 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters in just the first half of this year, surpassing the 2,241 vehicles confiscated throughout all of 2025. The effort is aimed at improving road safety while also reducing crimes such as phone thefts and robberies that police say are frequently committed using illegally modified two-wheelers.
In the UK, privately owned e-scooters that are popular in cities around the world remain illegal to ride on public roads, while legal e-bikes must comply with regulations limiting motor assistance to 15.5 mph (25 km/h) and meet other technical requirements.
According to the BBC, London’s Metropolitan Police have increasingly relied on portable roadside dynamometers, or “rolling roads,” to determine whether an e-bike has been illegally modified to exceed the legal speed limit. The Met is one of only two police forces in the UK currently deploying the portable testing equipment.
A Dutch police officer uses a roadside dyno to inspect a suspected illegally fast or powerful e-bike
Police say common signs that prompt an inspection include unusually high speeds, oversized battery packs, and throttles capable of propelling a bike at speed without pedaling.
During one recent enforcement operation near Tottenham Court Road Station, officers reportedly seized 29 e-bikes and seven e-scooters in a single day. That operation was the seventh conducted this year, with another five planned throughout the summer.
Police believe the crackdown is contributing to lower crime rates, citing figures including that neighborhood offenses across London are down 14% over the past year, with a 23% reduction in theft from the person and an 11% decline in general robberies.
Commander Neerav Patel, who leads the Met’s e-bike enforcement efforts, told the BBC that while many people use e-bikes legitimately, police remain focused on those using illegally modified machines for criminal and anti-social behavior, particularly in connection with phone snatching incidents.
Lead image credit: Bob Jenkins via Pexels
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