CBC Marketplace finds GTA shops unlock e-bike speed limits and sell 120 km/h scooters

A CBC Marketplace hidden-camera sweep of Greater Toronto Area retailers found many e-bike and e-scooter sellers stocking machines that exceed Ontario speed caps — and staff at half the shops visited explaining how to unlock those limits.

Marketplace reporters went undercover to Amego, Emmo, EZbike, Best Buy, Canadian Tire and Costco outlets among 12 locations. Under Ontario’s e-bike rules and related e-scooter limits, riders must be at least 16, e-scooters are capped at 24 km/h on flat ground and e-bikes at 32 km/h. Ten of the 12 stores sold devices advertised above those ceilings; salespeople at six showed or described bypasses, including an EZbike clerk citing scooters that can hit 120 km/h and an Emmo staffer saying a bike could be modified toward 150 km/h for “off-road” use. An Amego salesperson unlocked a limiter on camera and claimed roughly 50 km/h. Canadian Tire stocked a Razor scooter recommended for ages eight and up. CIHI figures cited in the report show hospitalizations for e-scooter falls among ages 15 and under jumped from 54 to 150 between the 2024–25 and 2025–26 fiscal years; a companion CBC “A Risky Ride” package and paediatric survey data underline rising head injuries and at least 10 child deaths linked to such devices in 2025.

Industry and retailers told Marketplace customers must follow local law; Razor said its slower kids’ scooter meets U.S. guidelines and is not meant for public roads. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon told the program safety is Ottawa’s priority and that the federal government must “absolutely consider” regulating device safety while provinces and cities hold most traffic rules. Canadian Electric Bicycle Association founder Michael Pasquali called sales of easily unlocked overspeed machines “heartbreaking” and urged a federal import and sales crackdown.

Sources: CBC Marketplace — e-bikes and e-scooters investigation; CBC — A Risky Ride; Ontario.ca — Riding an e-bike; Ontario.ca — Electric kick-style scooters.