British police forces have sold at least 161 seized electric bikes and motorcycles in 2025, despite thousands of such vehicles being confiscated annually over suspected illegal use or links to crime. Reports found that some seized vehicles are being put back on the market through online auctions. This has triggered concern that vehicles taken off the streets could find their way back into criminal hands.
Police Scotland accounted for 93 of the vehicles sold, while West Midlands Police sold 12 and West Yorkshire Police sold two. The sales have raised concerns that offenders could potentially buy seized vehicles through auction websites and illegally modify otherwise compliant e-bikes.
In the UK, government rules permit qualifying e-bikes to be ridden without registration, tax or insurance, but a bike capable of being propelled by its motor beyond 15.5mph or equipped with a motor exceeding 250 watts falls outside the legal EAPC category. This has led to police forces seizing e-bikes that do not meet these criteria.
A BBC investigation found that police forces across the UK sold 161 e-bikes and electric motorcycles in 2025, compared with 54 in 2024. The actual number could be higher because not all forces responded to the BBC’s Freedom of Information requests. The investigation identified six forces that confirmed selling seized e-bikes, including Police Scotland and West Midlands Police.
Police Scotland recorded the largest number, with 93 seized e-bikes sold last year. The force said it sends confiscated vehicles to an accredited recycler, which may subsequently auction them, with proceeds returned to policing. West Midlands Police sold 12 e-bikes in 2025, saying the “vast majority” of seized bikes were destroyed and only a small number were sold through an independent auction company to generate money for policing.
Critics argue that the practice sends a contradictory message, particularly as police forces are simultaneously warning about the criminal and public-safety risks associated with illegally modified e-bikes. Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw urged forces to stop selling the vehicles, arguing that e-bikes and scooters have increasingly become associated with drug gangs because of their speed and difficulty of detection.
Some police forces have reconsidered their policies on selling seized e-bikes. Durham Constabulary, which sold 29 e-bikes last year, said following a review of its policy, seized e-bikes “will now be crushed without exception.” West Mercia Police, which sold 24 e-bikes and one e-scooter in 2025, has also ended the sale of seized e-bikes and e-scooters.
Key points
- Police forces in the UK have sold at least 161 seized e-bikes in 2025.
- The sales have raised concerns that seized e-bikes may be used for criminal activity.
- Some police forces have ended the sale of seized e-bikes, opting to crush them instead.
