micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility @lemmy.world FARTYSHARTBLAST @sh.itjust.works 1y ago

It’s official: E-bikes are actually bikes, not ‘motor vehicles,’ according to new EU rules

electrek.co It’s official: E-bikes are actually bikes, not ‘motor vehicles,’ according to new EU rules

The EU Court of Justice yesterday ruled that e-bikes are actually bikes, not motorbikes, which means e-cyclists aren’t obligated to be insured in the same way as motorists.

43 comments

I'm sure that if you see the fine print, this means that pedal-assist ebikes that have 250W motor and are limited to 25kph (15mph) are considered bicycles. Something like a Surron is still considered a motorbike and needs to be registerated, insured, needs a licence and is only allowed to be driven on the roads among cars - as they should.
- That's not a fine print, that's a definition for ebikes. Surron is 100% a motorbike. They don't even look like bicycles and never targeted the bicycle market.
  
  It's a spectrum and the limits are quite arbitrary. Plenty of people would agree that Surron is a motorbike, but some of those same people want to be able to drive without pedaling, have more powerful motor than 250W, go faster than 25kph or all of the above.
- Sounds exactly how it was regulated in Germany, except for the license I think. It's pretty much handled the same as a moped, which I think is totally fair.
  
  Don't you need a licence for moped in Germany? In Finland you need one unless you're born before 1980 I think. Same with motorcycles.
  
  According to the article, those limits are regulated on EU level. Which also makes perfect sense, since that allows for a single market of e-bikes.
I sure would like to read the actual ruling, but from what I see in the article, this applies to pedal assist e-bikes, and wouldn't apply to e-bikes that have a throttle which is operated by a way other than pedaling (like a thumb or twist throttle). I have to think there's a maximum speed and/or weight as well, otherwise someone could very easily build a large, heavy, highway-ready "e-bike" that just uses pedaling for the throttle, but is in every other way an electric motorcycle.
- Of course EU regulations, contrary to the US, limit pedal-assist bikes to a maximum continuous rated power of no more than 250 W and a speed to 25 km/h before cutting out power, leaving you to rely your legs for more speed.
  
  its the same rules in Australia, but every bike seems to just have a 250W firmware limit that everyone just bypasses and then rides like a dick.
  
  How is that contrary to the US? The US has limits that are higher, not contrary.
  
  250's pretty low espically for hill climbing
Nice. Get with it, US
- Ebikes are already legally considered bicycles and not motor vehicles in the US: It's a federal regulation so it applies to every state.
  
  Oh what? Well, I'll say that cops in multiple states here are unaware.
  
  That's good to know though, I'm a bit gunshy about taking the trails with no motor vehicle signs.
- What are you talking about? The EU were playing catch-up to us on this one.
  
  Past run-ins with cops who apparently knew about the same as I did about this federal law.
  
  It's in all the other comments.

43 comments