A tuning module can alter the motor assistance on a pedelec without the modification being visible from the outside. For traffic checks, it is therefore not only important to know how fast the bike is travelling, but also whether and how the motor provides assistance above 25 km/h. The Dresden-based company EMEC-Prototyping is developing a mobile test bench for this purpose. According to the company, it is designed to detect tampering using AI and deliver results directly at the point of inspection. The test bench is designed to fit into an emergency vehicle and can be set up within a few minutes. EMEC lists pedelecs, S-pedelecs, cargo bikes and e-scooters, amongst others, as potential vehicles for testing.
What has already been installed on the new test bench?
As yet, the test bench is a development project, not a monitoring device that has been tried and tested in day-to-day police work. EMEC outlines the planned scope of application and sets summer 2027 as the target date. The company’s press release does not contain any publicly available measurement results or details regarding the system’s success rate in detecting various forms of tampering and drive systems. It therefore remains to be seen whether it will operate reliably under real-world inspection conditions.
Mobile exams do, however, already exist. The Hamburg Police has been testing a speed test roller called ‘E-Speed-Control’ since June 2025. It can be used to measure and document anomalies on site. If further suspicion arises, vehicles can be impounded or experts called in. The Hamburg test roller is a different device to the test bench announced by EMEC.
According to the company, the EMEC project is funded by the Free State of Saxony and co-financed by the European Union. It is not yet known whether the test bench will actually be available from summer 2027 and used by regulatory authorities.
Why is a speed of more than 25 km/h not proof of vehicle modification?
A pedelec may travel faster than 25 km/h, for example when going downhill or under muscle power. For it to be legally classified as a bicycle, the motor assistance must cease when a speed of 25 km/h is reached, or before. A measured speed above this limit therefore does not, in itself, prove that the vehicle has been tampered with.
If the assistance limit is altered, the vehicle may lose its legal classification as a bicycle. However, this does not automatically make it a registered S-pedelec. The requirements regarding registration, insurance and a driving licence depend on the modified vehicle. Anyone using it on public roads without meeting the necessary requirements may face a fine or criminal proceedings, depending on the circumstances. An accident can also result in significant financial consequences.
The key technical question for inspections therefore remains: does the motor still provide assistance, even though it should no longer do so on a standard pedelec? Only verifiable measurement data and practical tests will show whether the new test bench can reliably answer this question for different drive systems and tuning methods.
What’s your experience of e-bike tuning? Let us know in the comments.
Marc Strucken
Editor
