Long queues formed at registration sites across Shanghai this week as riders hurried to register older e-bikes ahead of a December 1 deadline that will bar non-compliant models from the market.
The rush comes as the city prepares to shift to a new generation of tightly regulated e-bikes under updated national standards, Xinmin Evening News reported on Friday.
The rules require Beidou positioning chips, anti-tampering technology to enforce the 25 km/h speed cap, and stricter limits on plastic components.
Shanghai's electric bicycle retailers are also racing to clear old inventory and introduce compliant models ahead of the deadline.
The transition has proved bumpy for retailers. Some stores have enough inventory of the new models, while others have almost none.
A Ninebot outlet reported barely having any compliant bikes on display. "Production capacity hasn't caught up," an employee told the newspaper.
A Pudong-based Ninebot dealer said he sold only five e-bikes in November, compared with his usual 60 to 70. He now relies on repair services to pay the bills.
"Right now, we have no new compliant models on the shelves," he said. "We'll decide whether to switch businesses after December based on sales."
Still, long-time shop owners say the disruption is temporary. One retailer recalled a similar adjustment period in 2019: "Business drops for a few months, then recovers."
Stores are now accelerating clearance of old inventory. Some have marketed them as "limited supply," with certain NiU models rising by about 200 yuan.
At registration points such as one on Dongming Road, long lines formed as riders scrambled to register old bikes before the deadline.
Consumers remain divided on the new models, largely due to the 25 km/h speed limit, now enforced by stricter anti-tampering systems.
"What's the point of an e-bike this slow?" asked a shopper at an Aima store.
A Jiading resident surnamed Zhao bought an old model before the cutoff. "I tempered with the speed. I know it's risky, but 25 km/h is too slow when taking my child to school," he said.
Store staff confirm that new models can no longer be modified to remove speed limits, leaving customers to adapt.
Still, some welcome the added safety. "We don't need speed. We prefer feeling secure, even at a higher price," said an older shopper.