THE HAGUE, the Netherlands – In a large scale operation to halt the influx of fatbikes that do not meet the legal requirements of an e-bike or a moped, the Dutch authorities seized a total of 16,500 fatbikes. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate reports the fatbikes are in fact illegal mopeds and originate from several Chinese manufacturers.
The unapproved mopeds with the styling of a fatbike, were or were supposedly offered for sale as e-bike. However they did not comply with the type approval regulations for a moped. Last July already 3,500 fatbikes were seized after the Dutch authorities imposed a €15,000 penalty on 9 ‘fat bikes’ sellers late 2023. They all offered fatbikes which were not street legal.

Easy to temper
These fatbikes usually go faster than 25 km/h or than can be done easily by changing the settings on the display. Other models have a power output of more than 250 Watts and can be driven with a throttle. If that’s the case the fatbike needs to comply with the same regulations as a moped which means at least a European type approval. In the Netherlands riding these bikes also requires a license plate, third-party insurance, helmet and driving license.
The seizure is part of the investigation the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate has been conducting since July. They halted the import into the port of Rotterdam, while another 1,000 unapproved mopeds were find in a distribution centre of a Dutch supplier.
Industry responsible
According to the Dutch inspectorate distributing non-compliance e-bikes is responsibility of the industry. “Manufacturers, importers and sellers must ensure that the vehicles comply with the legal regulations before they are sold,” the inspectorate wrote in a statement. “You can’t expect young people and their parents to see the difference between an regular e-bike and an illegal one. It is up to the industry to prevent them from buying a cheating e-bike.”
The inspectorate also sees a growing number of cheaper, unsafe and unapproved mopeds on offer in the Netherlands. “It is import that these illegal mopeds disappear from our streets as quickly as possible. And that starts by putting a stop to their sale via official trade channels.”
Traffic accidents
Fatbikes cause a lot of nuisance and lead to a sharp increase in the number of traffic accidents in the Netherlands. The fatbikes are very popular among young people and relatively cheap to get. It makes fatbikes a day-to-day topic in the Dutch media as they cause a lot of nuisance and lead to a sharp increase in the number of traffic accidents.