Amazon announced plans to halt the sale of specific high-speed electric bicycles in California following a consumer alert regarding vehicle classifications and a series of fatal accidents. The move comes after state officials clarified that vehicles exceeding certain speed thresholds are legally classified as mopeds or motorcycles, as reported by The Guardian.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and several district attorneys issued a safety warning in April 2026 identifying vehicles capable of exceeding 28 mph with pedal assistance or 20 mph via throttle as mopeds. These classifications require operators to possess special licensing and meet specific age requirements that standard e-bikes do not.
The regulatory crackdown follows an April incident in Orange County where an 81-year-old man died after being struck by a teenager on an illegal e-motorcycle. Prosecutors subsequently charged the teen’s mother with involuntary manslaughter after determining she had been previously warned about the vehicle’s illegal operation.
“Sometimes, what looks like an ebike or is marketed as an ebike is not a bike at all. We are seeing a surge of safety incidents on our sidewalks, parks and streets,” said Rob Bonta, State Attorney General.
In response to these safety concerns, Amazon stated it is actively purging listings for two-wheeled vehicles that fail to comply with California’s strict regulatory framework. Investigations by KCRA 3 previously identified products marketed as ebikes on the platform that reached speeds of 40 mph.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, who is handling the prosecution related to the recent fatalities, highlighted a drastic rise in regional injuries. He noted that another 13-year-old boy died last week during an e-motorcycle crash.
“More than 100 deaths across the United States have resulted from ebike and E-motorcycle crashes and injuries have increased 430% in the last four years in southern California,” said Todd Spitzer, Orange County District Attorney.
Retailers are now under increased scrutiny for marketing high-power vehicles as bicycles to bypass licensing laws. Amazon has committed to requiring all third-party sellers to adhere to both company policies and state-specific transportation statutes moving forward.