Police confiscate illegal high‑speed e‑steps and fatbikes in Knokke‑Heist

Belgian police carried out a large‑scale traffic operation in the coastal town of Knokke‑Heist on 22 July 2026. Inspectors examined about fifty electric two‑wheelers, including e‑steps and fat‑bikes, using a portable roll‑test rig. They identified several heavily modified vehicles that could travel far above the legal limits: one e‑step reached 77 km/h, another 45 km/h, and a fat‑bike recorded 55 km/h.

Four of the most egregious cases – two e‑steps and two fat‑bikes – were seized and ordered destroyed. Additional offences included riders younger than the required 16 years, and a rider carrying a passenger on an e‑step, both prohibited by law. Police warned that such modifications pose serious risks to riders and other road users and said the crackdown aims to deter the growing trend of illegally upgraded electric vehicles.