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E-bike power limit: BA and ACT urge bike industry to resist 500W proposal
(www.globalcyclingnetwork.com)
this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2024
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micromobility - Ebikes, scooters, longboards: Whatever floats your goat, this is micromobility
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Ebikes, bicycles, scooters, skateboards, longboards, eboards, motorcycles, skates, unicycles: Whatever floats your goat, this is all things micromobility!
"Transportation using lightweight vehicles such as bicycles or scooters, especially electric ones that may be borrowed as part of a self-service rental program in which people rent vehicles for short-term use within a town or city.
micromobility is seen as a potential solution to moving people more efficiently around cities"
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250W is a pretty sad limit if you ask me, glad I don't live in the UK (for lots of reasons)
You can have more than 250W right now, as well as removing the pedal requirement. It just becomes an electric moped.
Bikes are a special class. They are generally light enough and slow enough to avoid a lot of the problems with cars etc. Because of this, they have far less regulation overhead.
Ebikes are a branch off from this. They are slightly heavier, slightly faster, but not so much that they cause problems. A faster, heavier ebike would become more dangerous and so need more regulation.
Instead of expanding the ebike category, they should create a "low powered moped" category. They could also put escooters into it. More safety rules than a current ebike, but less than a full moped, or motorbike. E.g. intended for road use, allowed to use cycle paths and footpaths, but with a low speed limit. They could also require a numberplate equivalent, but self certify the MOT and no road tax.
Restrictions on speed are a lot more reasonable than restrictions on wattage. For example, WTF is a loaded-down cargo bike supposed to do with only 250W when it gets to a hill?
I’m not sure if 250W makes sense or any other particular rule, but it wort weight matters too. If a loaded-down cargo bike hits a pedestrian it’s going to hurt a lot more than a road bike collision even at the same speed