Electric Scooters in Zhuhai
I am thinking about buying an electric scooter to get around Zhuhai. Can anyone tell me about the legality of this? I know this probably isn't the safest bet but for short distances it seems like a good bet. Also, is there anywhere in Zhuhai to buy these things? Is a license necessary? Any help is appreciated!
Not legal I am afraid. The police will confiscate your scooter and perhaps fine you....
How do people get away with it? He He He! Obviously, you haven't been around China very long; and are not familiar with the Chinese term "guanxi".
Indeed. I been here less then a week...Do you know where I can buy one?
I had one in Jiangsu, Wuxi for 10 months and it was great. No problems... but I'm sure if you rode one through the main streets of Zhuhai you could have a potential problem. As for buying them, i'm sure you see shops in most neighborhoods in Zhuhai. Where there are bicycles, there are electric bikes! (I know near Zhong Dian Da Sha （中电大厦） there is a rather large offering....
i don't know why your webmaster would want to share faulty information with you, but some definitions are in order.
An electric motor assisted bicycle (with pedals) is probably what you have seen many people driving around Zhuhai and is definitely not illegal and is available at many bicycle stores. I have driven one for 2 years here with no problems.
An Electric Scooter - like a gasoline scooter - without pedals - i have heard is not legal in the city and i have seen very few of these running around and never seen them for sale except in a neighboring city one time, and also down in Hainan.
electric bikes can be purchased for 1300-1650rmb - you also need to plan how and where to plug it in - inside your apartment typically - but it may only require weekly charging. hope this helps.
brad
Hi Brad,
sorry if my information is faulty but I have seen on numerous occasions the police arresting people and taking their electric scooter away.
Now I may not have noticed that there are 2 different types, so thanks for the clarification :):)
Thanks for all the help guys. Hopefully I can find a shop near Huafa New Town to purchase one. Worst comes to worst they take the bike....
We will try to look for a shop near Huafa for you and let you know if we find one :)
there are a number of bike shops near huafa, next to Gome for example and on the walking street there is a big selection - about 3 blocks away from the border building.
Manpower bicycle is better. Lock it well.
License is necessary in all over china, including scooter. And in the past, even though bicycle also need a license in China, just now it is free. But in the city of guangzhou, riding scooter is illegal but the suburbs is ok. So I think in ZhuHai you might be able to riding scooter.
I really want one of these electric bikes too, but have also heard that it's illegal to drive this in Zhuhai. So today I went to the Traffic Police Station to ask!
AND YES, it has been illegal to drive this in the city since 2004! I even got a little booklet explaining the rules (did you know that that three wheeled "bicycle taxis" also are illegal??)
So, why do I see thousands of people drive electric bikes every day??? Must be one of these Chinese mysteries, right?
Anyway, I have decided to buy one and take the risk of getting fined and maybe have the bike confiscated. Can't wait to honk the (very loud) horn at all the pedestrians who think they own the sidewalks ;-)
i heard from some friends that the motor vehicles nowadays are of not as good quality as the ones 10 years ago. don't know if it's true, but if it is! does anybody know where we can buy those better ones now..? :)
We know someone who rides scooter within Huafa - from home to work. Perhaps if you aren't in downtown, you should be fine :-)
I think where you see thousands of people drive electric bikes every day must be in suburbs. Driving scooter in Suburbs is legal. In addition, before driving scooter in suburbs, please don't forget to have your scooter registered at the Traffic Police Station.
Please don't take any risk to drive it in city!!!!!
Only see this in suburbs??? Try take a walk through Gongbei and see for yourself..... Even Lianhualu have many e-bikes driving in the walking street.
And again, there is a difference between scooters (with license plate) and electric bikes. Obviously you can't get an e-bike registered at the traffic police station, since they are illegal to drive....
Actually I don't know ZhuHai and don't know if Gongbei is suburbs or not.
If I were you, I would report it to the police if any illegal act.
yes i have also verified which exact electric bikes are illegal and it seems that all types are illegal in zhuhai. apparently they were causing some traffic difficulties because they were so fast....
now i know you are asking yourself the same question i was - FAST??
so this law is obvious nonsense and they do not enforce it at all, i pass by police nearly every day on my bike, although it is not one of the higher powered 48v+ bikes, it does get me around.
i'm sure they could press that law were you involved in an accident, which is probably the point, otherwise they ignore you.
a law which favors cars and gasoline motorcycles over low power bicycles sounds like something from back in the USA - give us more pollution, more traffic and fewer parking spaces - good plan zhuhai!
brad
Funny you should mention this now! Yesterday (Wednesday) the traffic police had a raid outside Vanguard in Gongbei. They confiscated all passing electic bicycles, and put them in the back of a big police truck! I was passing by on my own electric bicycle, but wasn't stopped though. Maybe they just don't want the hassle of bringing in a foreigner...
Very right about the police stopping foreigners, they don't want the hassle! So if you are are foreigner and CAN speak some Chinese when stopped by a police, don't!! Start speaking English, say "sorry" alot, and in a few minutes, they will scratch their heads and tell you to leave...I was stopped one time , while driving my car, for having my headlights on during the day time by a traffic cop. I just started to speak English, and they let me go. Since I'm a Chinese American, I understood what they told me, that having the headlights on in the day time would distract other cars.(This was nonsense to me because they do nothing to people who have their high beams on at night!!!) Anyways, I just pretended I didn't speak Chinese and spoke English, and they just gave me a warning, and let me go....Welcome to China, lol.
(did you know that that three wheeled "bicycle taxis" also are illegal??)
R. Have you ever seen it in the center the city, no, i guess
So, why do I see thousands of people drive electric bikes every day??? Must be one of these Chinese mysteries, right?
R. It is not some kind of mystery,you can also buy one electrical bicycle but it is better not to honk aroud like a crazy, coz it is not nice, i guess you should come from USA. most Americans seem always like this, but no offence.
wow, what a great Chinese American!
But have you ever see that many car drivers have their headlights on during the daytime???????
Guys, if you dont want to be scared by car accident, it is better to obey the traffic rule, coz car accident does not recognize whether you are foreigners or Chineses, whether you speaking Enlgish,Mandarin or Contonese.
Good luck!!!!!!!!!
Whoa Weiwei, you really don't like foreigners, eh?!
Quote: "Have you ever seen it in the center the city, no, i guess"
Answer: Have you ever been to Gongbei? No, I guess....
Quote: "It is not some kind of mystery,you can also buy one electrical bicycle but it is better not to honk aroud like a crazy, coz it is not nice, i guess you should come from USA. most Americans seem always like this"
Answer: Who talked about "honking" around?? And I'm not from USA....
Quote: "But have you ever see that many car drivers have their headlights on during the daytime???????"
Answer: In Denmark where I come from, it is illegal NOT to have the headlights on during the daytime!
Q:Whoa Weiwei, you really don't like foreigners, eh?!
R: No offence, i have to write and meet foreigners every day apart from my weekend, i do not dislike foreigners, but i dont like these foreigners who always think they are cooler than anyone else.
Q" Have you ever been to Gongbei? No, I guess...."
R: i live in Jida, so i go to Gongbei quite often, i guess you should to to Shanghai,Shenzhen,Guangzhou or Hongkong, then you will know what is congestion
Q: Who talked about "honking" around?? And I'm not from USA....
R: That is great you will not honk around if you have a electric bike, and wow, i guessed wrong about you nationality.
Q: In Denmark where I come from, it is illegal NOT to have the headlights on during the daytime!
R: Oh, here is not denmark, not north eupore, so the rule and the system is not the same as north europe.
I just say what i would like to say, just hope you do not judge a city or a person so superfically, have a nice pleasant stay here in Zhuhai, but no offence at all :-)
This website, I thought, is to exchange info and experiences. Not to express your feelings towards the expats, positively or negatively. We are not here to compare the different cultures and to see who is right or wrong. We are all here trying to coexist, and some rules will be strange to the foreigners. We just need info on how to live here peacefully and how not to be hassled....
Yes Tony, you are right and thanks for reminding the others. This topic started with a practical question. Let's stick to that, thanks :)
Yesterday's news reported the traffic police has begun cracking down on unlicensed motorbike and electric bikes, so riders beware.
One of the biggest problem with electric bikes is the number accidents involving these vehicles. Due to the quietness of the motor & numbers of rogue users speeding through crowed sidewalks and narrow streets there are untold numbers of accidents between electric bikes and pedestrians. In last nights news reports there's something like a 25% increase in traffic deaths this year involving these vehicles...so there is a strong argument for the city's (and many other cities in China as well) decision in banning them in the center where population's dense.
As for those foreign members of this forum who likes to openly share information on how to break law or knowingly disrespecting laws by pretending they don't speak the language should be prepared to receive and accept criticisms from other (law abiding) FM. Those of you who thinks it's okay to take advantage or break the laws here not only are you an embarrassment of your home country, you are giving foreigners a bad name and making everyone less welcomed here.
Today I went to a bike shop and what they told me about e-bikes in Zhuhai was, that they are prohibited when they go faster than 25 km/h, weigh more than 35 kg or have more than 24 V. Does anybody know if this information is right?
no idea - i thought they all were forbidden. But Hi! You are here already! And we are nearly 7 weeks old! :)
Just buy one with battery that looks like bicycle. If China outlaw it then you have bicycle. A really heavy one haha
You'll have one, unless they cart it away.......
So even though tons of people are riding them around, they are illegal? How do they get away with it?