E-bicycle or battery-operated pedal assisted vehicle

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 8711 60 80 (E-bicycle or battery-operated pedal assisted vehicle) is governed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) import policy under DGFT Notification 40/2024-25 dated 26-11-2024. Import is Free provided the vehicle meets the statutory definition: an auxiliary electric motor with thirty-minute power below 0.25 kW, maximum speed not exceeding 25 km/h, and conformity with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Rules made thereunder.

What this is

HSN code

8711 60 80

Chapter

87 · Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling-stock; parts and accessories

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) Free import policy, Chapter 87 — DGFT Notification 40/2024-25

Customs documentation

Technical specification declaration from importer
Motor Vehicles Act conformity certificate from manufacturer

Compliance steps

1
Confirm at the bill-of-entry stage that the imported vehicle satisfies the DGFT statutory definition: auxiliary electric motor with thirty-minute power output strictly below 0.25 kW and a maximum speed not exceeding 25 km/h. A vehicle exceeding either threshold does not qualify as an e-bicycle under this CTI and will be reclassified or detained.
DGFT Notification 40/2024-25 dated 26-11-2024
2
Submit documentary evidence that the vehicle conforms to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988) and the Rules made thereunder. A manufacturer's conformity certificate or technical datasheet establishing both the power and speed parameters should be uploaded in e-Sanchit with the bill of entry.
DGFT Notification 40/2024-25 dated 26-11-2024 · Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (59 of 1988)

A word of counsel

The single most common error on this tariff line is importing a pedelec or e-cycle whose motor peak or continuous power rating is measured on a basis other than the thirty-minute power standard — a vehicle rated at 0.25 kW on a peak basis but below that threshold on the thirty-minute basis still clears; one rated at or above 0.25 kW on the thirty-minute basis does not, and will be treated as a different sub-heading, attracting reclassification, enhanced duty, and potential confiscation of the consignment.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8711 60 80 require BIS certification?

No, no BIS Quality Control Order covers e-bicycles or battery-operated pedal assisted vehicles under this tariff line. Import is governed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under DGFT Notification 40/2024-25, which classifies import as Free subject to the motor-power and speed definition.

What happens if the imported vehicle's motor power or top speed exceeds the limits specified in DGFT Notification 40/2024-25?

A vehicle with thirty-minute motor power at or above 0.25 kW, or a maximum speed exceeding 25 km/h, falls outside the e-bicycle definition and will be reclassified to a different sub-heading — potentially as a motorcycle or moped — attracting the applicable import policy condition and duty rate for that sub-heading.

Is the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 conformity requirement a separate regulatory clearance or a documentation requirement at customs?

It is a documentation requirement at the bill-of-entry stage: the importer must demonstrate conformity with the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Rules thereunder to satisfy the conditions of the Free import policy under DGFT Notification 40/2024-25; no separate Ministry of Road Transport approval is specified in the regulatory record.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: DGFT / Indian Customs CUSDATA.