Speed Trials

Videos like this, often overlaid with a voice repeating “Your order has already timed out” have gone viral on platforms such as Douyin – a satirical jab at China’s compulsory speed limit for the electric mopeds that delivery riders depend on. 　

Effective since September, 2025, factories are required to limit new mopeds and e-bikes to a top speed of 25 kilometers per hour. The rule has sparked fierce debate among deliverers, who typically are forced to ride at 40-50 kilometers per hour or faster to make deliveries on time. 　

The standard requires that all electric mopeds and e-bikes also come with kill switches that automatically cut off power once they hit the speed limit. Vehicles that do not meet the new requirements have been banned from the market since December 1, 2025. 　

While authorities say the rules are intended to improve safety, delivery riders fear that slower speeds will cut into the number of orders they can complete each day – and their earnings. 　

All riders interviewed by NewsChina said they plan to keep using and maintaining their old mopeds until they are forced to give them up. Some said they would try to buy used models manufactured before the new standard took effect. 

“The rule is about safety,”said Zhang Ruihua, a director at the Tianjin Bicycle and Electric Vehicle Industry Association. “Over 25 kilometers per hour, braking distance gets dramatically longer as speed increases, and the fatality rate in moped accidents jumps from around 10 percent to more than 30 percent,” he told media. 　

According to a China Central Television report that aired on December 4, 2025, China has about 400 million electric mopeds and bikes. Data from the Road Traffic Safety Center under the Ministry of Public Security show that mopeds were involved in 10 percent of all urban road traffic accidents in 2024. The China Statistical Yearbook 2024 also found that deaths from moped-related accidents rose by an average of 5.85 percent annually between 2019 and 2023. 

Delivery riders, however, say safety concerns often have to take a back seat. 　

“I usually go 40 to 50 kilometers per hour and work from 7 am to 8 pm. It takes me 50 to 60 orders a day to earn 300 to 500 yuan (US$43-71),” said Zhou Zhi, a Beijing-based delivery rider. 

Although manufacturers and retailers are prohibited from selling mopeds without speed limiters, most delivery riders modify their vehicles to bypass the restrictions. 　

Wang Liang, a 20-year-old former delivery rider in Beijing, said his first moped was modified to reach a top speed of 40 kilometers per hour, but even that felt slow. “When I rode at around 30 kilometers per hour, everyone else was passing me, and I earned only about half of what other riders made,” he said. 　

He replaced it with another moped modified to hit over 60 kilometers per hour. “Then I could keep up with almost anyone,” he said. 　

Beijing roads typically have speed limits of between 50 and 80 kilometers per hour for motor vehicles, but electric mopeds are defined as non-motor vehicles and speeds are rarely monitored. 　

“Sixty kilometers per hour is dangerous,” Wang said. “But when I was new to delivery work, I got extremely nervous whenever I felt I was running out of time.” Wang recalled narrowly avoiding a collision with a truck while taking a turn at full speed. 　

Media often reports on delivery riders running red lights or riding against traffic to beat the clock. In response, major delivery platforms such as Meituan have replaced financial penalties for late deliveries with a points-based system. 　

Each rider starts with 12 points. When the number of points drops below three, the platform halves the number of orders a rider can receive. The account is suspended when the points reach zero. The system also deducts points for rider-related delays, excluding factors such as slow food preparation, incorrect addresses or traffic controls. 　

Even so, Zhou said the system does little to ease riders’ anxiety. “Losing points can mean fewer orders, or no orders at all. That’s even worse than losing money directly,” he said. 　

Adding to the pressure, platforms continue to emphasize speed in their marketing. During an interview in a residential compound in Beijing’s Chaoyang District, a NewsChina reporter saw a Meituan advertisement playing on an elevator screen, boasting that its one-to-one deliveries take 20 minutes less than average delivery times. 　

According to Zhou, riders can also be penalized for traffic violations if reported, further increasing the pressure. 　

“When restaurants are slow, we sometimes have only 10 to 15 minutes left to deliver an order,” he said. “Even riding at 40 or 50 kilometers per hour, we can’t always make it on time. If the speed is capped at 25, how is anyone supposed to deliver on time without breaking traffic rules? Even the best deliverer couldn’t do it.” 　

In one Douyin video, a rider in Guangdong Province tested the 25-kilometer-per-hour limit and found it took twice as long to deliver an order just two kilometers away.　

“At that speed, we’d lose six points on a single order,” Zhou said. “Two orders later, we’d be blocked. It’s unimaginable. We’d lose our jobs.” 

The recommendations call on platforms to refine their delivery time calculations by factoring in weather, road conditions and food preparation time. It also recommends calculating delivery speed based on 15 kilometers per hour. To ensure adequate rest, the document forbids platforms from rewarding overtime work with bonuses and requires a mandatory break once a rider has worked continuously for four hours. 　

The proposals have not been well received by riders. 　

“It’s slower than riding a bicycle,” said a delivery rider in Beijing’s Chaoyang District who declined to be named. “I understand that the document is meant to stop platforms from improperly shortening delivery times, but if the speed is too low, the number of orders we receive each day will drop.” 　

“To be honest, our relatively higher incomes come from completing a large number of orders, which depends on speed and overtime work,” he added. He noted that the platform he works for, which operates under Alibaba’s Taobao ecosystem, has not yet implemented the 15 kilometers per hour calculation. 　

The situation reflects a broader issue. Delivery riders depend on income to support their families, particularly at a time of economic slowdown. 　

Data from QuestMobile, a Beijing-based data analytics firm, shows that the number of food delivery riders in China surged 74.8 percent year-on-year to more than 1.4 million in July 2025, while the number of parcel delivery riders rose 13.8 percent to 5.39 million. Chinese media reported that many laid off workers and recent university graduates who have struggled to find jobs have turned to delivery work. 　

The Chaoyang District-based rider believes the new standard will have a major impact in practice. “With the 15 kilometers per hour calculation, we may have to accept more orders at once or work across multiple platforms to ensure the total number of orders each day,” he said. 

“This period is usually busy for the used market,” Dong said. “Some new riders leave the industry during colder months due to risk and fatigue, while experienced riders often take the opportunity to buy a backup vehicle.” 　

Unlike ordinary users who commute less than 10 kilometers a day, full-time delivery riders typically travel 100 to 200 kilometers daily. Due to wear and tear, they replace their mopeds every 12 to 18 months, valuing power, range and ease of maintenance. 　

To meet these needs, specialized delivery mopeds have hit the market, Dong said. These models tend to be cheaper and offer more storage and better suspension. 　

“Many smaller factories and lesser-known brands are seeking to grab market share,” Dong said. “But they do not necessarily meet the national standards, which increases the risk of riders using unlicensed mopeds.” 　

Li Daokui, a professor of economics and sociology at Tsinghua University, expressed similar concerns. “Professional delivery riders are unlikely to abandon their old mopeds once the new technical standards take effect,” he told NewsChina. “Instead, they will try to extend their use as long as possible.” 　

“When regulatory standards conflict with market demand, the demand may shift into gray areas such as unlicensed or modified vehicles,” Li said. “That in turn makes regulation more difficult.” 

A salesperson at a dealership for Niu, a major electric moped brand, told NewsChina that while the company strictly prohibits tampering with speed limiters, many independent businesses specialize in modification services. 　

One such modifier in Zhejiang Province, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he has developed a new module that bypasses the speed limit on a certain type of compliant moped. He also said he can loosen the speed limit on two other compliant models to up to 35 kilometers per hour. 　

Li expects that authorities will crack down on unlicensed and modified mopeds in spring this year. However, he warned that such practices are likely to resurface once enforcement eases. 　

“The cat and mouse game may continue for a long time,” he said. 

“The new technical standards should not be enforced at the cost of riders’ livelihoods,” he told NewsChina. Instead, they should be treated as an opportunity to upgrade the industry.” 　

“The core challenge is recognizing diverse market demands and addressing them through more refined and differentiated management,” he said. 　

Dong suggested adjusting rules based on road types and usage scenarios. “Authorities could allow moderate speed increases for off-peak hours or on designated routes,” he said. “In the long term, they could consider allowing higher speeds or heavier loads for specific groups.” 　

He also called for delivery platforms to adopt more flexible and human-centered algorithms. “The points system could be adjusted according to circumstances,” he said. “More importantly, platforms should make pricing rules transparent and raise the base pay per order to address riders’ fundamental concerns.” 　

“Platforms are key to resolving the tensions between speed and income,” Dong said. “Only when riders can earn stable and reasonable incomes within legal and reasonable time limits can that contradiction truly be resolved.”