A UK man's expensive cargo e-bike was seized and destroyed by police despite being fully legal, after officers conducted a flawed roadside test.
Matin Zandi, a Birmingham resident, owned a Tern GSD cargo bike worth around £6,000 ($8,000). The e-bike was supplied through a city-backed program promoting cleaner transport.
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During an operation targeting illegal high-powered electric two-wheelers like the Sur-Ron Light Bee, police stopped Zandi.
Unlike those machines, his Tern GSD's motor assistance is restricted to the UK legal limit of 15.5 mph (25 km/h).
Flawed Test Procedure
Officers concluded the e-bike exceeded the limit after lifting the rear wheel and spinning the pedals manually.
This caused the speedometer to show a much higher figure, similar to propping up a car to prove it can do 100 mph.
Body camera footage reviewed by the BBC shows Zandi trying to explain that the test only showed how fast the wheel could be turned by hand, not that the motor provided illegal assistance.
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“We tried to convince the police officers to accept their mistake but they didn’t,” Zandi told the BBC.
Beyond losing the bike, Zandi faces possible fines and penalty points on his license.
He is now challenging the decision in court with support from Cycling UK, Tern, and Birmingham Bike Foundry.
Advocacy groups say similar mistakes have affected other lawful mobility devices, including those used by disabled riders.
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West Midlands Police says it has received a complaint and is reviewing the matter, but the review comes too late for the bike, which has already been reduced to scrap.
