In November 2026, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is set to take place in Shenzhen on November 18th and 19th. Authorities in Shenzhen have announced new regulations to crack down on electric bicycles ahead of the summit, leading to a large number of vehicles being towed away, which has caused public resentment.
The Shenzhen authorities have implemented new restrictions on electric vehicles starting from April 1st, six months before this year’s APEC summit, in order to enhance security measures. The new regulations include setting up three levels of restricted zones for electric bicycles and non-motorized vehicles.
In the first-level restricted zone, electric bicycles are prohibited from operating 24 hours a day, with violators facing a fine of 2,000 yuan. This restriction applies to highways, tunnels, and various roads in different districts, including popular areas like Dongmen Pedestrian Street in Luohu District and Huaqiang North Pedestrian Street in Futian District.
The second-level restricted zone prohibits the operation of electric bicycles, except for those used for livelihood purposes. The third-level restricted zone includes segmented restrictions, allowing only citizen transport for students using electric bicycles.
Shenzhen had previously established three levels of restricted zones in 2024, and the new measures include the addition of Futian District’s Xiangmihu Road auxiliary road in the second-level restricted zone. The main venue for the APEC summit is located in Xiangmihu.
Apart from incorporating roads near the APEC main venue into the second-level restricted zone to limit the operation of electric bicycles and non-motorized vehicles, parking will gradually be prohibited in the entirety of Huaqiang North Pedestrian Street.
On April 1st, a large number of electric bicycles were towed away. At Century Link in Huaqiang North, electric bicycles parked on the roadside were towed away directly for weighing, and those exceeding the weight limit were taken to the traffic police squadron. Videos from the scene showed several delivery riders’ vehicles being towed away.
In another video, a large number of traffic police officers were mobilized to crackdown on delivery riders using electric bicycles, with some riders being handcuffed and police officers forming blockades around them. In one incident on an overpass, a rider on an electric bicycle was intercepted by the police, with an officer shouting, “Stop recording!”
Ms. Miaoli’s (pseudonym) car was towed away in the early morning. She told reporters that her car, parked in the designated electric bicycle parking area below her company, was unreasonably towed away by the police. She suspected it was an opportunity for them to tow cars illegally: “At 5 a.m. yesterday, a traffic officer towed my car away forcibly. My car key was still inside, so it was quite powerful of them to take it away like that. My car was parked in the designated electric vehicle parking area below the company building, where there is surveillance. I found out through the surveillance footage. Otherwise, I would have thought my car was stolen. I want to file a complaint because this kind of late-night towing is simply theft. I still don’t know where my car has been taken.”
She mentioned that her car was not overweight, the issue was simply that the license plate was not attached, although it was placed under the seat. “The inspections are particularly strict this year, supposedly because of the APEC summit. People are working in shifts 24 hours a day, some on day shifts, some on night shifts. I am speechless.”
Reports circulated online claiming that Shenzhen has set a target to regulate 300,000 electric vehicles, with 80% of them expected to be dealt with. However, this information has not been officially confirmed.
Mr. Yang told reporters, “My car was towed away from the subway station, and now I am waiting for notification at the Longgang impound lot. They are now targeting those exceeding weight limits or without license plates. Mine should be for exceeding the weight limit.”
A local resident, Xiaohua (pseudonym), stated, “Now they inspect any electric bicycle that is not of national standard, even those with license plates. Many vehicles have been detained. Today (April 3), no one dares to ride electric bicycles. In reality, almost all of them exceed the weight limit because they changed the batteries before attaching the license plates. If the weight exceeds 63 kilograms, even if you are not over the limit, they consider it as modification and impound it all.”
According to a report from Guangdong Broadcasting and Television last month, Shenzhen traffic police have begun setting up checkpoints around APEC venues and other key areas to crack down on violations by electric vehicles, and they have even deployed drones for surveillance patrols.
Hong Kong’s Ming Pao newspaper reported that by the end of 2025, the total number of registered electric bicycles in Shenzhen exceeded 6 million vehicles, with an estimated actual ownership of nearly 7.5 million vehicles, far surpassing local motor vehicles, making them the city’s most prevalent mode of transport. Considering Shenzhen’s permanent population, on average, every three residents own an electric bicycle.
Similar to other regions in China, a large number of people in Shenzhen use electric bicycles for commuting, child transport, delivery, courier services, and food delivery. However, the safety issues brought by electric bicycles have also been widely criticized.
There has been ongoing online debate in mainland China regarding the government’s crackdown on electric bicycles, with opinions divided. Some believe that electric bicycles have caused chaos, while the majority argue that they are a necessity for people’s livelihoods.
One netizen commented: “I am puzzled. The manufacturers produce them, the distributors sell them, and yet it is always the customers who face bad luck? What’s the logic behind this?”
Videos of Shenzhen’s public security confiscating electric bicycles have circulated overseas, prompting anger among many netizens:
“After a month, these confiscated electric bicycles will be speeding around the vast African continent.”
“Africa is in urgent need of electric bikes. This is a big business deal for the public security department, a huge profit. ”
“Whenever a Chinese dynasty enters its decline, local governments will frantically exploit the people’s wealth to replenish their financial resources, only accelerating their own demise. China has entered the era of fine economy.”
“In a place without property rights protection, all possessions are like clouds.”
The traffic police department under the Chinese Communist Party will package and sell the impounded cars, which will flow to locations such as Africa. Previously, many videos showed motorcycles and electric bicycles with Chinese license plates in Africa. Netizens expressed in posts: “Lifelong not going abroad, but electric bikes are the first to go abroad.”