Cargo bike safety risk: In the Netherlands there is now a sales ban or recall for bikes from the manufacturer Babboe. What to expect in Germany.
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Official sales ban in the Netherlands with immediate effect
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Apparently significant safety risk due to broken frames
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Nine models are affected
The sale of Babboe brand cargo bikes has been stopped in the Netherlands for the time being for safety reasons. This was pointed out by the Dutch Food and Consumer Goods Safety Authority (Nederlandse Voedselen Warenautoriteit, NVWA) on February 14th.
Babboe: Safety risk due to frame fractures
According to the authority, the bicycles have significant safety deficiencies, as frame breakages have recently increased. This is a life-threatening risk in road traffic. The NVWA accuses the company of not reporting the defects. The cause of the defects was also not sufficiently investigated and no measures were taken. It is currently being investigated whether criminal investigations should be initiated.
On its German website, the manufacturer simply writes that it is “unable to provide sufficient information to prove that certain models do not pose a safety risk.”
Babboe: Sales stop and recall in Germany
Babboe has now decided to stop the sale of all of its cargo bikes in Germany as a precautionary measure. In addition, the manufacturer wants to recall certain copies that have already been sold in Germany. Owners of Babboe models will be informed about this as quickly as possible. These are the affected wheels:
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Babboe City/City-E/City Mountain
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Babboe Curve/Curve-E/Curve Mountain
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Babboe Big/Big-E
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Babboe Dog/Dog-E
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Babboe Max-E
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Babboe Mini-E/Mini Mountain
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Babboe Pro Trike/Trike-E/Trike XL; Babboe Carve-E/ Carve Mountain
There is currently nothing known about an official ban on sales in Germany. The manufacturer itself could not be reached for comment on Friday, February 17th.
This is what the ADAC says about the cargo bike recall
The ADAC experts at the Landsberg test and technology center have not yet received any complaints from members who had broken frames. However, it is assumed that the Dutch authorities recognized a sufficiently valid reason for such a measure before the sales ban was imposed. As soon as new findings become available, they will be published here. Until then, those affected should contact their dealer.
Babboe belongs to the Dutch bicycle company Accell, calls itself the world‘s number one cargo bike and has been selling them for 15 years.