UL 2849, UL 2271, UL 2272 and EN 15194: e-bike and e-scooter safety certification explained

Lithium-ion battery fires in e-bikes and e-scooters have pushed cities, states and countries to require independent safety certification. Four standards come up again and again. They test different things, and a claim about one is not a claim about another.

UL 2849: the whole e-bike electrical system

UL 2849 covers an e-bike's electrical system as a whole: the battery, the charger, the motor and the controller, tested together as they are used. It checks how the system behaves when overcharged, short-circuited, crushed, dropped, soaked or overheated. It is the standard New York City requires for every e-bike sold there. In our database, 82 e-bike ranges state UL 2849 certification; see them.

UL 2271: the battery pack alone

UL 2271 tests the battery pack of a light electric vehicle on its own. A UL 2271 battery is a good sign, but it does not make the bike UL 2849 certified: the charger, motor and controller have not been tested with it. Brands that state both are telling you the battery and the full system have each been tested.

UL 2272: e-scooters and other personal e-mobility

UL 2272 covers the electrical system of personal e-mobility devices such as electric scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards: battery, charger and drive tested together. It evaluates electrical and fire safety, not how the scooter rides or how strong its frame is. 60 scooter ranges in our database state UL 2272; see them.

EN 15194 and EN 17128: the European standards

EN 15194 is the European standard for electrically power-assisted cycles: pedelecs whose motor helps only while you pedal, up to 250 W and 25 km/h. It covers electrical safety, the battery and charger, electromagnetic compatibility and the bike's mechanical safety. EN 17128 does the same for personal light electric vehicles such as e-scooters. A CE mark alone is the maker's own declaration; a test report from an independent laboratory is the evidence behind it.

Where the law requires certification

• New York City: since September 2023, e-bikes sold, rented or leased must be certified to UL 2849, their batteries to UL 2271, and e-scooters to UL 2272.
• California: from 1 January 2026, an e-bike may be sold only if its battery has been tested to UL 2849 or EN 15194 by an accredited laboratory; rentals follow in 2028.
• New South Wales, Australia: from 1 February 2026, e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries must be tested, certified and marked before sale, and the state keeps a register of certified models.
• United States: the Consumer Product Safety Commission proposed a nationwide standard built on UL 2849, UL 2271 and UL 2272 in June 2026; it is not yet final.

All rules, with their official sources →

How to check a certification claim

A genuine certification names the testing laboratory (UL Solutions, Intertek, TÜV, SGS, CSA and others) and carries a file or certificate number. Look for the mark on the bike and on the battery itself, not only on the box or the product page. Ask the seller for the certificate or test report, and look the number up in the laboratory's own directory, such as UL Product iQ. On eBikeTrusted, a certification shown as "stated by the brand" is the brand's own statement; "verified" means we have matched it in the certifier's records, with the number and date.