Revealed: The tiny device police use to catch illegally fast e-bikes and e-scooters

If you thought that 60 mph (100 km/h) electric scooter was a good idea, you might want to think again. It’s getting easier than ever for police to catch illegally fast micromobility devices with simple roadside tests.

Police in Zurich, Switzerland, have unveiled a new weapon in their war against overpowered electric two-wheelers – and it fits in a briefcase.

The Zurich State Police recently posted a video online showing officers using a compact, suitcase-sized dynamometer to test the top speed of e-bikes and e-scooters right on the roadside.

The device, made by Swiss company Wenger, lets police quickly measure the peak speed of a vehicle without needing a full test track or lab. It’s like a small dyno that fits in your lap. It doesn’t appear to measure power output (though we’ve seen larger versions that can), but it serves as a quick loaded speed test in a pinch.

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In the video, officers roll a scooter onto the small platform, spin up the wheel, and the digital readout tells them exactly how fast the machine can go. This test showed an e-scooter capable of over 110 km/h (68 mph) – a jaw-dropping figure considering the legal limit for e-scooters in Switzerland is just 20 km/h (12 mph).

“Nowadays, e-scooters are a popular way to get around the city quickly and comfortably. However, the driver of this e-scooter exceeded the permissible maximum speed of 20 km/h by five times the permissible, endangering not only himself, but also others,” explained the police.

Overpowered e-bikes and scooters are becoming a growing issue around the world. Many riders modify their motors or install “speed unlockers” to bypass factory limits, turning them into lightweight electric motorcycles without the required registration, insurance, or safety gear. Zurich police say they’re increasingly finding illegal modifications, and tools like this portable dyno make enforcement easier than ever… if they can catch the riders.

Electrek’s Take

This little briefcase dynamometer is undeniably clever – and it’s cool to see such portable testing tech in action. But it also highlights how outdated many micromobility laws have become. If we applied the same logic to cars, my mom’s minivan could triple the local speed limit, and she’d be at risk of getting it confiscated each time she drove to the supermarket.

Instead of cracking down on potential speed, maybe regulators should focus on how these vehicles are actually used – not just what they’re capable of. Or if we accept that we should be limiting the maximum output speed of scooters that weigh as much as a toddler, perhaps that might also be a good idea for cars and trucks that weigh as much as a… truck?