Source : Perth Now news
E-bike thefts in NSW have surged more than 27 per cent in two years – with thefts of the vehicle now accounting for almost 40 per cent of all reported stealing offences across the state.
Over the past two years, the state has seen a dramatic increase in the number of e-bike thefts being carried out.
Since 2024, thefts of the controversial, motorised pushbikes has increased by 27 per cent.
The rise now means that thefts of e-bikes make up a staggering proportion of all reported stealing offences – almost 40 per cent.
It means the theft of e-bikes has been blamed for an overall 3.1 per cent rise in non-retail stealing offences in the state.
In the year to March 2026, the number of e-bike thefts swelled by 436 incidents, from 1644 reported two years ago to 2080.
Experts say that the worsening issue is in line with growing popularity of e-bikes, which are becoming more prevalent on streets and roads of Australia.
“As e-bikes have become more popular, they have also become more attractive targets for theft,” Jackie Fitzgerald of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research said.
“Theft of e-bikes has risen sharply and is now the major contributor to growth in ‘other stealing offences’.
‘Other stealing offences’ is a phrase used by crime statisticians to describe a theft offence which hasn’t involved robbery, trespass or deception.
The figures show that the increase was largely in the Greater Sydney area, with stats remaining stable in Regional NSW.
Within Sydney, the Central Coast area recorded the largest increase, with the figure swelling by 18 per cent.
And while e-bikes were the biggest outlier, there was also a significant increase of copper theft, which rose by 16.3 per cent.
Retail theft also recorded an increase in the two year period – surging by 9.1 per cent.
Officials say this was driven by people snatching either clothing and footwear (up 17 per cent) or booze, which was up by 13 per cent.
