The Challenge

Navigating the World of Compliance

Propain’s high-performance electric mountain bikes have captivated riders worldwide, but scaling internationally comes with its own set of hurdles. Their e-bikes, powered by lithium batteries, fall into the most complex category for product safety and compliance.

With no in-house compliance manager, Propain’s team faced a daunting task: understanding diverse regulatory frameworks in the EU, UK, and USA. The fast-paced growth of the company left little room for oversight gaps—especially given the recent divergence of UK regulations from EU standards.

Complicating matters, Propain was mid-development on a new e-bike model. They saw this as the perfect opportunity to bring in expertise to ensure they met all compliance requirements while staying on track for their ambitious launch timeline.

Propain's team recognized that while they had a solid grasp of the applicable regulations, compliance is a field where unexpected challenges can arise without dedicated expertise. This realization led them to seek the guidance of EdgeComply.

The Solution

A Tailored Partnership for Comprehensive Compliance

Propain decided to partner with EdgeComply for a flexible and expert-driven solution to their compliance challenges. From the outset, Propain shared extensive product details, including technical specifications and data on shared components. Despite the new e-bike being under development, this allowed EdgeComply to begin an in-depth compliance evaluation while accommodating changes in real time as the design progressed.

Throughout the development process, EdgeComply has been working hand-in-hand with Propain, ensuring constant communication to address updates and align the compliance strategy with evolving engineering decisions. This iterative support is providing the agility needed to keep the project on track without compromising on regulatory accuracy.

In just two weeks, EdgeComply delivered a comprehensive compliance roadmap tailored to Propain’s key markets. Our specialists covered everything from safety warnings to intricate recycling label requirements—such as the Triman logo for France and localized regulations in Italy. It also included clear, step-by-step instructions for creating fully compliant user manuals. With this guidance, Propain is well-equipped to avoid common compliance pitfalls and move forward with confidence.

In the EU, the key compliance obligations include the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive, the Radio Equipment Directive (RED), the Battery Regulation, and EN ISO 4210, which specifies safety requirements for bicycles. In the US, compliance requirements encompass 16 CFR Part 1512, which outlines safety standards for bicycles under the CPSC, Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, and FCC standards under 47 CFR Part 15 for radio frequency emissions.

Especially for the EU market, a proactive risk assessment is paramount. EdgeComply and Propain are collaborating closely to document potential user vulnerabilities, ranging from the use of the product by children to general consumer safety, in a format that ticks all the boxes for local regulations.

While the project is progressing, EdgeComply is ensuring all compliance work is meticulously documented in an audit-ready technical file—think of a Google Drive folder. The purpose is to simplify regulatory inquiries from market authorities or retailers, ensuring Propain’s products met all criteria without the need for additional clarifications.

The Result

Seamless Compliance, Stronger Confidence

With EdgeComply’s support, Propain ensures:

• Rock-Solid Compliance: Clear, actionable guidance across key markets, ensuring their new e-bike meets all regulatory standards.

• Time Savings: Propain’s team avoided the learning curve and pitfalls of navigating regulations alone, focusing instead on innovation.

• Future-Ready Documentation: A well-organized compliance repository, ready to handle audits or inquiries without disruption.

Importantly, Propain gained a true partner for their ongoing compliance journey. EdgeComply is available for ad-hoc questions, providing guidance on design changes, updated labels, or manual clarifications, allowing Propain to maintain their fast-paced innovation cycle.