What changes for products with an e-bike battery?
Two European rules interlock. The Batteries Regulation determines how the battery must be built. The Right to Repair Directive determines when you must offer the repair.
| Rule | What it says | From when |
|---|---|---|
| Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, Article 11 | The battery and the individual cells must be removable and replaceable by an independent professional. Batteries remain available as spare parts for at least five years after the last unit of the equipment model has been placed on the market, at a reasonable and non-discriminatory price. Software may not block replacement. | 18 February 2027 |
| Directive (EU) 2024/1799, Article 5 and Annex II | The manufacturer repairs at the consumer's request, also outside the warranty, free of charge or for a reasonable price. Annex II lists goods containing batteries for light means of transport. | Member states apply the rules from 31 July 2026 |
| Directive (EU) 2024/1799, Article 16 | If a defect under the legal guarantee is remedied by repair instead of replacement, the seller's liability period is extended once by twelve months. | Sales contracts from 31 July 2026 |
| Directive (EU) 2024/1799, Article 7 | European online platform on which consumers look for a repairer by country. | By 31 July 2027 |
The repair obligation only applies in so far as European repairability requirements exist for the product. For e-bikes, electric kick scooters and other light vehicles those are the requirements of Article 11. That is why 18 February 2027 is the date to plan for. It concerns products placed on the market from that date.
Each member state transposes the directive itself. The Netherlands is doing so with an implementation act (parliamentary paper 36996), which has been before the House of Representatives since July 2026. Until that act enters into force, the directive's rules in the table do not yet bind companies in the Netherlands. The Batteries Regulation applies directly in every member state, so 18 February 2027 stands regardless of the Dutch act.
Who has to offer the repair?
The manufacturer of the product. The consumer does not need to have bought directly from you: someone who bought through a dealer or online shop can also turn to the manufacturer.
If the manufacturer is outside the EU, a fixed order applies. First the authorised representative in the EU. If there is none, the importer. If there is no importer either, the distributor. Many batteries and bikes come from Asia, so in practice the obligation often lies with the party that places the product on the market here.
What do you need to have in place?
- A repair service the consumer can find, with information that is available free of charge and in plain language for as long as the obligation runs.
- Repair within a reasonable time, counted from the moment you have the product in your hands.
- A reasonable price. The price must not deter the consumer from having the product repaired.
- Indicative prices for typical repairs on a freely accessible website.
- No contract terms, hardware or software that hinder repair, unless there is a legitimate and objective reason for them.
Refusing is only allowed when repair is impossible. That replacement is cheaper does not count. Nor does the fact that another repairer has worked on it before. If the battery really cannot be saved, you may offer a refurbished one.
Which part can you outsource?
The directive says it in so many words: the manufacturer, the importer and the distributor may outsource the repair in order to meet their obligation. The responsibility stays with you. You do not have to do the work yourself.
We do that work in Beugen. A battery comes in under your reference. We test it, establish what is broken and repair that: a charge port, a fuse, the BMS, if need be a component on the circuit board. Then comes a final test and the battery goes back to the dealer or the customer. For each battery we record what we measured and what we did.
What is already in place at KWS Seuren?
| What the directive asks | What we already have |
|---|---|
| Repair on request | More than 45,000 batteries handled since 2017, with more than 500 brands in our database. |
| Indicative prices on a public website | Our website lists prices per battery model. That is a usable basis for your own price list. |
| Reasonable time | For business customers we agree a diagnosis time. Around three working days is achievable when your account and volume are set up for it. |
| Proof of what was done | A record for each battery with initial test, work carried out and final test. Reporting by reference, serial number or batch if we agree that. |
| Models that are out of production too | For a number of battery types without available parts we have developed our own electronics, for example for a Bafang 43V battery. |
| Controlled process | ISO 9001:2015 certified for battery repair and cell replacement. More about quality and safety at KWS Seuren. |
What does that look like in practice?
Winfield Vertriebs GmbH, the company behind Maxtron-Bikes, sends defective customer batteries to us. In nine months that came to 24 orders with 53 batteries. For each battery we report what we found and what we propose. After approval we carry it out. The work covered electronics, fuses, charge ports, deep discharge and the occasional cell replacement. Read the case about battery aftersales for Maxtron.
What does KWS Seuren not take over from you?
The legal obligation. You remain the party the consumer can turn to, and you set your warranty and service policy.
Which intervention suits your product is also something we agree together in advance. Replacing a charge port is different from rebuilding a pack with new cells. With the latter, the Batteries Regulation can set extra requirements for conformity and documentation. That is why we agree per battery type what we may repair on our own and what is referred to you first.
Which obligations apply to your products depends on the type of battery and on your role in the chain. We work that out with you per battery type.
Repairability is not a new subject for us
In 2021 KWS Seuren, as a Dutch battery repairer, was on the public list of supporters of a joint European statement for removable, replaceable and repairable batteries. That statement asked, among other things, for e-bikes and electric kick scooters to be brought under the rules and for software that does not block repair. That is still how we work: first establish what is defective, then repair only that.
How do you start?
- You choose one battery type or one fault pattern that is causing you trouble now.
- We test a first batch and show what can be repaired and why.
- Together we lay down the decision rules: when to repair, when to replace, what it may cost.
- The way of working and the reporting are fixed. After that the batteries come to us routinely.
What else we do for brands and importers is explained on the page about battery service for manufacturers and importers.
Frequently asked questions
Directive (EU) 2024/1799 had to be transposed into national law by 31 July 2026. The repair obligation applies to products for which European repairability requirements exist. For batteries of light vehicles those are in Article 11 of the Batteries Regulation, which applies from 18 February 2027.
Yes, if the manufacturer is established outside the EU and has no authorised representative there. Then the importer fulfils the repair obligation. If there is no importer, the distributor does. That is in Article 5(3) of Directive (EU) 2024/1799.
Yes. Article 5 of Directive (EU) 2024/1799 allows manufacturers, importers and distributors to outsource the repair. They remain responsible themselves for the repair obligation towards the consumer.
No. The obligation lapses when repair is impossible, for example with irreparable damage. The manufacturer may then offer a refurbished product. Cost alone is no reason to refuse, and neither is an earlier repair by someone else.
The directive names no amount. The price may cover labour, parts, the workshop and a customary margin, but must not deter consumers. Indicative prices for typical repairs must be on a freely accessible website.
The Netherlands is transposing the directive with an implementation act. The Dutch cabinet approved the proposal in March 2026, and it has been before the House of Representatives since July 2026. The European date for application was 31 July 2026.
Start with one battery type
Send us the model, the number of batteries that come back per year and the fault pattern you see most often. We then tell you whether a pilot makes sense.