Buyers' standard requirements for braking distance of electric scooters

Buyers' Standard Requirements for Braking Distance of Electric Scooters

As an international wholesale buyer of electric scooters, your core focus isn't just "low price and high quality," but also ensuring your products meet the compliance requirements of your target market. Braking distance is a key indicator that determines whether your product can enter the market and avoid safety risks. Whether it's Europe's CE certification, the US CPSC, or local regulations in Southeast Asia, all have clear limits on the braking performance of electric scooters. This article will systematically analyze the braking distance standards in major global markets, the technical factors that influence compliance rates, and practical verification solutions for buyers, helping you establish a scientific procurement evaluation system.

I. Why is braking distance such a crucial indicator for buyers?

For international buyers, ignoring braking distance standards creates three risks for their business:

Market Access Barriers: Over 90% of major markets worldwide (such as the EU, US, Canada, and Australia) include braking distance as a mandatory certification requirement. Products that fail to meet the standards may be detained by customs, banned from sale, or even face hefty fines (for example, the EU Market Surveillance Regulation imposes fines of up to 10% of annual turnover for non-compliant products).

Liability for Safety Accidents: If a purchased product causes a fall or traffic accident due to excessive braking distance, the buyer may be held jointly liable. In 2023, a US buyer was involved in 12 consumer claims for selling electric scooters with excessive braking distances, resulting in over $2 million in compensation.

Brand Trust Collapse: If a product is recalled due to braking issues (such as the 2024 recall of 50,000 electric scooters by a European brand due to substandard braking distances), your reputation with local dealers will be directly impacted, leading to the loss of long-term partnerships. On the other hand, products that meet braking distance standards not only facilitate entry into target markets but also reduce after-sales costs, becoming a competitive differentiator.

II. Analysis of the Core Standards for Braking Distance in International Mainstream Markets

Regulatory systems in different regions vary in their testing conditions (surface, speed, and load) and limits for braking distance. Before purchasing, it is important to clearly identify the "hard indicators" of your target market:

1. EU: Mandatory Standards Core to EN 15194

The EU is one of the most stringently regulated markets for e-scooters. All products entering the EU must pass EN 15194:2021 certification, which specifies the braking distance requirements as follows:

Test Conditions: Dry asphalt road surface (friction coefficient ≥ 0.8), ambient temperature 5°C-30°C, load capacity 75kg (including rider);

Speed ​​and Braking Distance Limits:

At a speed of 20 km/h, the braking distance is ≤ 3.5 meters;

At a speed of 25 km/h (the maximum speed limit for e-scooters in the EU), the braking distance is ≤ 4.0 meters;

Special Requirements: Testing is required for "front wheel braking alone," "rear wheel braking alone," and "front and rear wheel combined braking." The combined braking distance must be greater than that of individual braking.

In addition, some EU countries (such as Germany and France) require products to pass the "wet road braking test," which requires a braking distance of 5.5 meters or less at 25 km/h after the road surface is wetted.

2. United States: Dual Constraints from CPSC and State Regulations

There is currently no national standard for electric scooter braking distances in the United States. However, the federal Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSC) and local state regulations (such as those in California and New York) have established a "minimum requirement framework":

CPSC Basic Requirements: On dry concrete roads, with a load of 113 kg (including the rider) and a speed of 20 km/h, the braking distance must be ≤ 5.0 meters. If the product is labeled "maximum speed 25 km/h," the braking distance must be ≤ 6.0 meters.

Stronger State Requirements: California's Electric Micromobility Safety Regulation (effective in 2024) stipulates that the braking distance at 25 km/h must be ≤ 5.0 meters and must pass an "emergency braking stability test" (the vehicle must not roll over or lock during braking). New York State requires all products entering the local market to provide a "braking distance decay test report" issued by a third-party laboratory (the distance must not increase by more than 10% after 10 consecutive braking cycles).

3. Southeast Asia: Reference to International Standards, Emphasis on Practicality

Regulations in Southeast Asian markets (Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand) largely reference EU EN 15194, but with modified testing conditions to account for local climates (high temperatures and high rainfall):

Singapore: The Electric Scooter Regulation requires a braking distance of ≤4.0 meters at 20 km/h on dry roads at temperatures between 35°C and 40°C; ≤5.0 meters on wet roads (simulating rainy season conditions);

Malaysia: The Electric Personal Mobility Device Safety Standard, released in 2023, stipulates a braking distance of ≤4.5 meters at 20 km/h with a load of 80 kg (appropriate for the local population), and requires passing a "dust and sand braking test" (simulating suburban road conditions).

4. Australia: Stringent Requirements of AS/NZS 3676

Australia's AS/NZS 3676:2022 standard has braking distance requirements second only to those of the EU, and the testing scenario is more complex:

Test conditions: Dry asphalt road, 100kg load, 25km/h speed;

Limit requirement: Braking distance ≤ 4.2 meters, and "wheel lock time during braking must not exceed 0.5 seconds" (to prevent the rider from being thrown);

Additional requirement: Downhill braking (5° gradient) must be tested, with a braking distance of ≤ 5.0 meters at 25km/h.

III. Three Core Technical Factors Affecting Braking Distance Compliance

When purchasing, simply looking at the supplier's "compliance report" is not enough—you need to understand the technical details that directly affect braking distance to avoid the pitfall of "sample compliance but batch failure":

1. Braking System Type: Disc Brakes > Drum Brakes > Electronic Brakes

The braking efficiency of different brake types varies significantly, directly determining the basic braking distance:

Disc Brakes (Hydraulic/Mechanical): Shortest braking distance, maintaining a stable braking distance of 3.5-4.0 meters at 25 km/h. They are also heat-resistant and have slow decay (distance increases by only 5% after 10 consecutive braking cycles). They are the mainstream configuration in the high-end markets of the EU and US.

Drum Brakes: Braking distance is 15%-20% longer than disc brakes (approximately 4.5-5.0 meters at 25 km/h), but they are low-cost and dust-resistant, making them suitable for the low-cost market in Southeast Asia.

Electronic Brakes (relying solely on motor-assisted braking): Longest braking distance (over 25 km/h). 6.0 meters), and its efficiency drops by 30% in low-temperature environments. It can only meet the minimum requirements of some underdeveloped markets and is not recommended for use in areas with high compliance requirements.

2. Tire-to-Road Compatibility

The tire material and tread directly affect the coefficient of friction, which in turn changes the braking distance:

Material: Tires made of "high-grip rubber" (such as a blend of styrene-butadiene rubber and natural rubber) have a 10%-15% shorter braking distance than ordinary rubber tires.

Tread: Tires with "transverse drainage patterns" have a braking distance on wet roads that is over 20% shorter than tires with "longitudinal patterns." This type of tire should be prioritized if the target market is rainy (e.g., Singapore or Seattle, USA).

3. Brake System Tuning

Even with identical brake hardware, different manufacturers' tuning levels can lead to differences in stopping distances:

Braking force distribution: High-quality suppliers use the ECU (electronic control unit) to optimize the front and rear wheel braking force ratio (typically 6:4) to prevent single wheel locking. However, inferior products may experience improper tuning, resulting in combined braking distances longer than individual braking distances.

Brake pad fit: The brake pad must fit over an 80% or more area of ​​the brake disc (or drum). Otherwise, braking will be soft, resulting in exceeding the specified distance. Some small manufacturers omit this "fit testing" process to save costs, resulting in a compliance rate of only 60% for mass-produced products.

IV. Four Practical Methods for Buyers to Verify Braking Distance Compliance

When faced with a supplier's "certificate of conformity," buyers must conduct multiple verifications to ensure authenticity and stability:

1. Request a "Scenario-Based Test Report"

"Generic reports" are not acceptable, and suppliers must provide a test report that fully matches the target market:

If the target market is the EU, the report must include data for two scenarios: "25 km/h dry road" and "25 km/h wet road."

If the target market is California, additional video recordings of "10 consecutive brake fade tests" and "emergency brake stability tests" are required to prevent report fraud.

2. Batch Sampling Field Testing

Before each batch is purchased, randomly select 3-5 samples and conduct in-house testing (or outsource testing to a third-party laboratory) under standard conditions:

Test Site Preparation: Find a dry asphalt road surface ≥10 meters long and ≥3 meters wide. Use a speedometer to set the driving speed (e.g., 25 km/h). Use a tape measure to mark the braking start and end points.

Testing Procedure:

Have a rider (weight matching the target market standard, e.g., 75 kg in the EU) ride at a constant speed.

Upon receiving the "brake" command, apply the front and rear brakes simultaneously (simulating a real-world riding scenario).

Record the distance from the start to the end point after the vehicle comes to a complete stop.

Repeat the test for each sample three times and take the average value. If the average value exceeds the standard limit by 10%, the batch will require retesting.

3. Verify the "Testing Agency Qualifications"

Prefer test reports certified by the following organizations to avoid "false reports":

EU: Test reports from TÜV Rheinland, SGS, and BV are preferred;

US: Reports from UL, Intertek, and CPSC-accredited laboratories are preferred;

Southeast Asia: Reports from SIRIM of Malaysia and SPRING of Singapore are preferred.

You can verify the authenticity of the report by entering the report number on the testing agency's official website (some small factories falsify report numbers, making them unavailable on the official website).

4. Request "Production Process Quality Control Records"

Qualified suppliers will establish a "full-process braking distance quality control system." Buyers may request the following records:

Component incoming inspection records (such as brake pad fit test data and tire friction coefficient test reports);

Production line calibration records (such as braking force distribution data for each product);

Finished product sampling records (such as braking distance data for a random sample of 10% of products per batch, with a compliance rate of ≥95%). If a supplier cannot provide these records, it indicates an incomplete quality control system and a high risk of mass production failing to meet standards.

V. 3 Key Recommendations for Buyers to Select Compliant Suppliers

In addition to verifying braking distance, buyers should also screen suppliers for compliance capabilities from the perspective of long-term cooperation:

1. Prioritize suppliers with mainstream market certification experience.

Ask the supplier whether they have a dedicated certification team for the target market:

For example, whether they have TÜV Rheinland-certified engineers and whether they are familiar with updates to EU EN 15194 (e.g., the 2021 version adds wet road testing requirements compared to the 2017 version).

If a supplier has experience manufacturing for international brands (such as Segway and Ninebot), their compliance capabilities are generally more reliable.

2. Clearly define "Breaking Distance Breach Liability" in the contract.

To avoid ambiguous clauses, the purchase contract should clearly state:

"If this batch of products is detained or recalled in the target market due to non-compliance with braking distance standards, the supplier shall bear all losses (including fines, recall costs, and customer compensation)";

"If the compliance rate in batch sampling testing is less than 95%, the supplier shall unconditionally accept returns or exchanges and pay a penalty of 10% of the contract amount."

3. Regularly track standard updates.

Global e-scooter regulations are constantly evolving (for example, the EU plans to reduce the wet braking distance limit from 5.5 meters to 5.0 meters by 2025). Buyers should establish a "standard update synchronization mechanism" with suppliers:

Require suppliers to provide a "target market regulatory update report" quarterly;

Communicate with suppliers six months in advance about standard changes to allow time for product adjustments (such as replacing brake pads and optimizing calibration parameters).

Conclusion: Building a Compliant Procurement System with Braking Distance as the Starting Point

For international wholesale buyers, braking distance isn't just a single metric; it's a core component throughout the entire product selection, inspection, and after-sales process. By clearly defining target market standards, understanding technical influencing factors, and implementing multiple verification methods, you can not only mitigate compliance risks but also identify long-term suppliers with proven technical expertise—the key to establishing differentiation in the fiercely competitive e-scooter wholesale market.