Beijing authorities recently ordered a halt to electric bicycle-sharing service E-zebra (in Chinese), citing safety and legitimacy concerns. In addition, users of the service were first notified yesterday (March 7, 2017) and then again today about an interruption in service due to maintenance. Customer service representatives have not able to confirm when the service will be back up.

This is not the first electric bicycle company to catch the attention of the Beijing authorities. According to local regulations, electric bicycles without license plates should not be allowed on road. In addition, the E-zebra-branded electric bicycle travels at 35 kph, much faster than the maximum allowed speed of 20 kph.

Dianbanma, the startup behind the E-zebra electric bicycles, was founded in 2015. After making a hefty investment in the electric bicycle startup in December of the same year, the country’s largest two-wheeled electric vehicle maker Yadea purchased a majority stake in the startup and now provides customized e-bike making service to it.

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