Federal battery regulations (but not for e-bikes)
Currently, there are no specific regulatory requirements for lithium-ion batteries in Canada. The federal government is thinking about regulating them, but not (yet) for electric micromobility devices like e-bikes and e-scooters.
Here’s what’s happening
In December 2025, Health Canada issued a notice of intent for possible lithium-ion battery requirements through the Canada Consumer Produce Safety Act (CCPSA). I was excited to hear this! But then I read the proposal in more detail, and according to Schedule 1 of the CCPSA, it doesn't apply to anything that falls within the very broad definition of a vehicle in the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. As noted on the Health Canada website, this means that the proposal currently excludes electric micromobility devices such as e-bikes and e-scooters. Yikes.
“A “vehicle” means any vehicle that is designed to be, or is capable of being, driven or drawn on roads by any means other than muscular power exclusively, but does not include any vehicle that is designed to run exclusively on rails.”
Why this is important
Lithium-ion battery safety in e-bikes and e-scooters has been a huge concern. Many cities have seen fires related to these batteries (Ottawa, Toronto, Montréal, Edmonton, Vancouver) and municipalities have been calling out for federal action. In the interim some transit agencies (e.g., Toronto, Metrolinx, Mississauga) have banned them due to fire concerns, and the City of Toronto has called on the federal government to take action.
Lithium-ion battery fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish and prone to reigniting. Of the 3 fatalities reported to Health Canada between 2013 to 2023, 2 were related to micromobility devices.
As noted by Health Canada, and other experts, the technology behind these batteries is inherently safe but there is clear evidence that uncertified, poorly designed, or inadequately manufactured batteries pose significantly higher risks of overheating, fire, and explosion. Third-party certifications, like from Underwriters Laboratory (UL) exist to protect against these risks, including UL 2272, 2849, and 2271 for e-micromobility devices. We should be using them and similar EN certifications from Europe, but there are currently no specific regulatory requirements for lithium-ion batteries in Canada.
Why I am worried e-mobility will fall through the regulatory gaps
Health Canada notes that e-micromobility devices like e-bikes and e-scooters fall into the MVSA definition of a vehicle, and are thus currently excluded from their CCPSA proposal. So if e-bike batteries are not regulated under the CCPSA, where are they regulated? Likely through Transport Canada. However, Transport Canada repealed their definition of e-bikes in 2021, so the federal government no longer defines them as a type of vehicle. Can the government regulate something it doesn't define?
There’s a lot I don’t know about the federal regulatory environment, so I have been reaching out and asking questions. I’ve learned that although the federal e-bike definition was repealed, the definition of vehicle has not changed, and that’s what matters. Because e-bikes would fall under that definition, they are considered vehicles and excluded from the CCPSA through Schedule 1. This means battery safety would be regulated through Transport Canada, not through this current CCPSA effort.
I agree with the calls for battery safety to be pursued federally, that seems like the right place to do this, but I am curious about the regulatory mechanisms for doing this in a timely manner without an e-bike definition.
Feel free to send me your thoughts / comments anytime.
For additional context, e-bike battery safety is being regulated through the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the United States as they consider e-bikes to be consumer products. The process appears to be stalled due to changes at the CPSC, but People for Bikes believes that the adoption of UL standards is likely.