More than 1,000 electric bikes, e-motorcycles and similar vehicles were surrendered in Southern California during a first-of-its-kind buyback program aimed at reducing injuries and dangerous use of high-powered electric two-wheelers.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office organized the Sept. 13 event at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, offering owners gift cards worth up to $1,000 for turning in the vehicles.

Republican Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer spearheaded the program as his office steps up enforcement against illegal use of high-powered e-bikes and e-motorcycles. Spitzer has also pursued felony charges against parents whose underage children allegedly operate the vehicles illegally.

“We are destroying these bikes,” Spitzer said during the buyback event, drawing cheers from attendees. “They’re going to be crushed!”

The district attorney's office created its E-Bike/E-Motorcycle Prosecution Unit, known as “Ride Safely,” in May to review cases involving the illegal use of motorized two-wheelers.

The office cited more than 100 deaths associated with e-bikes and e-motorcycles across the United States and said injuries had increased 430% over the previous four years in Southern California. Children who are too young to legally operate certain vehicles account for a large share of those injuries, according to the office.

The enforcement effort followed the death of 81-year-old Vietnam veteran Ed Ashman, who was fatally struck by an e-motorcycle allegedly operated by a 14-year-old, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The rapid adoption of electric bikes in densely populated and coastal areas has also contributed to a growing number of emergency room visits. The American College of Surgeons said in June 2025 that more than 20,000 people are injured annually while riding e-bikes in the United States, with approximately 3,000 requiring hospitalization.

Electric bikes are divided into different speed classifications, and some models can exceed 20 mph. Modifications can make some vehicles significantly more powerful, increasing the potential consequences of crashes.

In one Orange County case from July 2025, a 12-year-old boy riding an e-motorcycle collided with a car and suffered a fractured skull and broken leg. The boy's father faces felony charges from Spitzer's office over alleged illegal modifications to the vehicle and could face up to six years in prison.

The Orange County crackdown comes as officials and medical groups continue to raise concerns about the safety of increasingly powerful electric two-wheelers, particularly when they are modified or operated by children who are not legally permitted to ride them.