Hey, I have heard that all electric scooters in Kunming must be registered before January 1st, or be confiscated.

I have also heard that registering is so hard that most local people have chosen to simply sell their e-bikes to people in nearby towns.

Is this for real?

I am pretty worried about this, I have sunk plenty of money into my e-bike but didn't know I needed to register it, as I thought (judging by how people drive them) that they aren't really legally vehicles.

Obviously they should be considered vehicles, and I am pretty happy that there will be less on the road, as I hate the way that most of the e-bike drivers drive. Usually they are even more reckless than the cars on the road. But I want to keep driving me e-bike, and I honestly don't think I could handle my hectic schedule if I had to bike or bus (though if we could reliably and safely take our bikes on the bus that would be OK).

So, any feedback? Is it possible to register?

Kunming add 3 windows for electric bicycles registration
By : InKunming | Published: 2011-November-11

Three more license application windows of electric bicycles will be opened in Luosiwan International Trade City, Guangfu Road and Longquan Road from December 11, according to the police station in Kunming.

Administrative Regulations of Electric Bicycles in Kunming will be put into effect starting from January 1, 2012 when all electric bicycles should get registered in Kunming. Two application windows have been set up in Xichang Road and Chenggong District. The policemen work overtime for the settlement of more than a thousand electric bicycles every day.
From "In Kunming"

In order to relieve the difficulties in the settlement of electric bicycles, three more application windows have been set up in Luosiwan International Trade City (in the parking lot of the Phase II), No. 761 Guangfu Road (opposite to Yunnan provincial police station) and No. 95 Longquan Road (Huitong Electric Bicycle Trade City). The staff's training and debugging of equipment have been completed. These windows will come into service at 9:00 a.m. on November 11. The time for the five windows is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Owing to the incomplete application conditions, the application work in Electric Bicycle Trade City in Xichang Road will be paused from November 11. (Editor: Lynn)

Finally! Thank goodness! I sure hope they are illegal soon! Everybody get back on your bicycles! They are safer, more environmentally friendly, better for your health and take up less room on the streets and parked on sidewalks. E-bikes are a nuisance! Down with e-bikes!!!

Cars too btw hehe

For what I know, the difficulty in registering is because you don't have the "fapiao" of your e-bike. If you have it, there should be no problem.
I don't know if everybody will still have the fapiao at home. And how are they going to control thousands of e-bikes? I don't get it. They are going to confiscate so many e-bikes and then put them where?
I also feel that so many people would not even know about that and have their e-bike confiscated...

Is this measure intended to avoid robbery or just to make money?
A lot of people need their e-bike every day for work and every thing else. Bicycle is not always good.

Disclaimer: I am no expert - - but following is what I have found out. Nowhere in regulations can I find where e-bikes will be confiscated for non-registration. There appears to be a "grace" period where "supplemental" registration will take place - likely with some sort of penalty for late registration.

There will be (maybe already are) standards published for what is an "acceptable" e-bike. Any not meeting standards must be "scrapped" after 5 years of purchase (new). There is no time frame for bikes meeting standards.

Again - - this is meant as food for thought and each person is urged to check out their personal situation.

Cheers - - JJ

Apart from the Fapiao I read that Chinese need a local resident document (if they dont have a Kunming hukou), I got mine registered with a passport but not sure if they need more proof of residence from foreigners now.

This story shows up every year.
I am pretty sure they will change nothing to the law regarding e-bike.
Can you imagine how many bike users will have to rush for registration before next year. I dont believe that scenario would happen soon.

Is the licence plate registered with the police the same as the registration??

I doubt most Chinese people are going to care about this law, anymore than they do any other laws, especially regarding traffic. Police do not enforce existing traffic laws so why would they suddenly start trying to enforce this one any more than than the ones they ignore now.

I hate the damned things. Lots of pedestrians (a sub-human animal in China) are smacked into by these things daily, especially from the back. The riders are reckless and dangerous. They like to speed and zig zag through people on narrow streets (like wen hua xiang) with no regard and if they do slam into and injure somebody they high tail it off as fast as they can.

I did learn from another teacher's experience in Beijing (where they use gas scooters but the principle is the same here) that the police ignore laowai on these things and lack of registration or tags is also ignored UNTIL there is an accident and especially if a Chinese national is hurt or their property is damaged. My friend was soon in over head and the school even fired him (abandoned him basically) for not adhering to Chinese traffic laws. He was severely injured but the whole focus was on the Chinese national three wheeled taxi scooter that got dented up.

Outlaw the damned things.