Electric bike thefts spur call for secure storage

Thefts of electric bikes have risen 115% so far this year, and a leading bike retailer is calling for local authorities to provide secure storage areas at public transport hubs.

Lack of secure storage is hampering the uptake of electric bikes for commuting and making them easier to steal, says Maurice Wells, managing director of retailer, Electric Bike Team.

With thefts increasing, some insurers are reviewing  whether e-bikes can continue to be covered automatically under home contents policies, he warns.

Wells says that though millions of dollars are being spent building new roads for cars, new public transport stations are still being designed with no adjacent cycle access or dedicated secure bike storage.

Though most new e-bikes  are bought for recreation rather than commuting, Wells says electric bikes are an environmentally sustainable alternative to petrol and diesel cars when commuting over short distances.

Almost 50,000 battery-powered bikes worth $62.3m have been imported in the past year, up about 67% in spite of global supply constraints because of COVIF-19.

Some new e-bikes can cost the same amount as entry-level cars, but are significantly easier to steal and on-sell.

“Unlike cars, cycles carry no registration plates, don’t usually have an alarm and at just over 20kg are light enough to be carried away…

“Currently, one of the primary barriers to purchasing e-bikes for commuting is the lack of secure bike storage facilities at public transport stations.

“When you’re spending $5000-$15,000 or more on a cycle, you want to know that when you step off the train at the end of the day it’s going to be where you left it.

“International best practice for supporting micromobility (the buzzword for transportation like electric bikes), includes a range of secure cycle storage options as well as charging stations for e-bikes.

“However, on a local level transport planners have not kept up with a trend towards the purchase of high-value cycles and are failing to help commuters adequately secure their asset,” he says.

Adam Smith, director of Velo Consulting, an insurance assessor specialising in bicycles and e-bikes, says a rise in thefts may see insurers withdraw coverage of high-value bikes under standard house and contents policies.

“What this could mean for owners is they may need to get specialised e-bike insurance which may also have policy conditions which require it to be adequately secured when not in use.”

Smith says the average value of claims for e-bikes is $4800 which is about $2000 more than the standard claim for a pushbike, and closer to the cost of a cheap car.

“We’re advising e-bike owners who are leaving their bikes in public places to invest in a decent lock. It’s concerning to see people spending $7000 on a new bike and then just $30 on a cheap lock,” he adds.

Lack of secure storage is hampering the uptake of electric bikes for commuting and making them easier to steal, says Maurice Wells, managing director of retailer, Electric Bike Team.

With thefts increasing, some insurers are reviewing  whether e-bikes can continue to be covered automatically under home contents policies, he warns.

Wells says that though millions of dollars are being spent building new roads for cars, new public transport stations are still being designed with no adjacent cycle access or dedicated secure bike storage.

Though most new e-bikes  are bought for recreation rather than commuting, Wells says electric bikes are an environmentally sustainable alternative to petrol and diesel cars when commuting over short distances.

Almost 50,000 battery-powered bikes worth $62.3m have been imported in the past year, up about 67% in spite of global supply constraints because of COVIF-19.

Some new e-bikes can cost the same amount as entry-level cars, but are significantly easier to steal and on-sell.

“Unlike cars, cycles carry no registration plates, don’t usually have an alarm and at just over 20kg are light enough to be carried away…

“Currently, one of the primary barriers to purchasing e-bikes for commuting is the lack of secure bike storage facilities at public transport stations.

“When you’re spending $5000-$15,000 or more on a cycle, you want to know that when you step off the train at the end of the day it’s going to be where you left it.

“International best practice for supporting micromobility (the buzzword for transportation like electric bikes), includes a range of secure cycle storage options as well as charging stations for e-bikes.

“However, on a local level transport planners have not kept up with a trend towards the purchase of high-value cycles and are failing to help commuters adequately secure their asset,” he says.

Adam Smith, director of Velo Consulting, an insurance assessor specialising in bicycles and e-bikes, says a rise in thefts may see insurers withdraw coverage of high-value bikes under standard house and contents policies.

“What this could mean for owners is they may need to get specialised e-bike insurance which may also have policy conditions which require it to be adequately secured when not in use.”

Smith says the average value of claims for e-bikes is $4800 which is about $2000 more than the standard claim for a pushbike, and closer to the cost of a cheap car.

“We’re advising e-bike owners who are leaving their bikes in public places to invest in a decent lock. It’s concerning to see people spending $7000 on a new bike and then just $30 on a cheap lock,” he adds.