UK police sold at least 161 seized e-bikes at auction last year, up from 54 in 2024, a BBC investigation found. Thousands are confiscated annually, and most are destroyed; the sales total may be higher because not every force replied.
The tally includes pedal-assist bicycles and motor-only electric motorbikes, seized over suspected illegal use or links to crime. Police Scotland reported the most sales, 93, followed by Durham (29), West Mercia (24), West Midlands (12), West Yorkshire (two) and Greater Manchester (one). Police Scotland sends seized bikes to an accredited recycler that may auction them; some forces say proceeds support policing or local causes.
Durham and West Mercia said they would stop selling seized e-bikes and e-scooters after reviewing their policies; Durham said e-bikes would now be crushed without exception. Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw urged forces to stop sales, describing e-bikes as the “transport of choice for drug gangs.” He suspects some criminals may buy seized bikes back and worries compliant models could be illegally modified. Legal pedal-assist bikes are limited to 15.5mph, while tuning kits can let some exceed 40mph.
