Article and Photo courtesy of Bike Europe
(AND, Belgium) – As e-Bike sales march on many new models targeted to specific consumer groups will hit the market. Examples: the race e-Bike, the mountain e-Bike; fully enclosed transport e-Bikes. This raises questions on the legal framework for these vehicles.
As the European Commission is reviewing the type-approval procedure for mopeds and motorcycles it offers the electric bike industry the opportunity to start discussions with European institutions on the legal framework, which the industry believes to be the most appropriate for their vehicles.
Today, it is the European type-approval legislation for mopeds and motorcycles that determines whether an electric bicycle is a bicycle that is excluded from the type-approval procedure or whether it is a moped that needs to comply with the type-approval procedure.
The European institutions have promulgated the type-approval law in 2002, without however properly consulting the electric bike industry on the most appropriate legal framework for their vehicles.
Since then, the majority of the products put on the market have a motor output of no more than 250W and their motor is cut off at 25 km/h. These vehicles are excluded from the type-approval procedure and are classified as bicycles.
Nevertheless, the electric bike offer is becoming much more diverse and a growing number of vehicles have a motor output above 250W and/or a motor that assists beyond 25 km/h.
This development raises two questions:
Are the 250 W and 25 km/h limitations the most appropriate specifications for excluding vehicles from the type-approval, thus classifying them as bicycles?
Is the type-approval procedure for mopeds and motorcycles the most appropriate homologation procedure for electric bikes not excluded from type-approval?
With the review of the type-approval procedure for mopeds and motorcycles currently taking place it is imperative that the electric bike industry starts a discussion on the legal framework which it believes to be the most appropriate for their vehicles.
The European Two-wheel Retailers' Association (ETRA) is prepared to defend and further the interests of the electric bike industry. For that purpose however, ETRA requires the support of the industry and a consensus on how the type-approval should be reviewed for electric bicycles. The matter is urgent since the European Commission intends to produce a first draft in November this year.
That is why, in cooperation with the Light Electric Vehicle Associaton (LEVA), ETRA intends to organize a meeting for the electric bike industry in the framework of Eurobike in Friedrichshafen. The meeting is aimed at discussing the two above-mentioned questions and at deciding whether and how to lobby the European Commission.
The meeting is currently planned for Saturday 5 September 2009 at Eurobike in Friedrichshafen from 9 am till no later than 12 o’clock. However, should the majority of the participants prefer another date and/or time, then ETRA will reschedule accordingly.
Where do I begin? Over the last several years, I have looked at, and scoured many types of Electric Bicycles to simply educate myself on WHY someone would pay $700 OR MORE for a conversion kit that would turn a regular bicycle into an electric or gas type of bicycle….Back in the day, we didn’t call them Motorized or Electric Bicycles, we simply called them Mopeds! I will preface the rest of this article by pointing out…..once again…that a Bicycle that is somehow motorized is not a new thing. In fact, ‘Motorized Bicycles’ are arguably a direct result of the early Track Bicycle Racers such as Marshall Taylor, who despite having tandem pace teams of up to 5 men, couldn’t get their pacers to go fast enough for them to break world records for speed (late 1890s).
What is interesting is that in breaking those world records on the Sprint Tracks and demanding more speed from their 3-5 man tandem pace teams and then from the motorized bicycles, inadvertently Taylor and the rest ushered in the demise of the very sport they loved, Track Bicycle Racing. Before the time of the automobile and shortly before the Engine on motorized bicycles (later called motorcycles) were developed enough to feed the public’s need for speed, these bicycle racers were the fastest men on Earth! The founder of the ‘Indian Motorcycle Company’ was an old rival of Taylor’s mentor and manager, Louis ‘Birdie’ Munger from the Old High Wheel Bicycle racing days!
Anyhow, back to the point of this article, Electric’s Bicycles. I was fascinated that ANYONE would pay as much as $9,000 for and Electric Bicycle, I mean, it made no sense to me. A term that I have used for the enthusiast for this product is ‘Tweeners’. Half-way between bicycles and motorcycles! This term doesn’t only apply to 12 years olds yall! I have viewed products in this category from China, Taiwan, European capitals, Thailand, etc. and as far as this search goes, I AM WORLDWIDE! I do not know if any of yall have noticed, but I am VERY opinionated about design, and once again I will tell you that that all of the Electric Bicycle I saw over the last several years I can describe in 2 words ‘CRAP BOMB!’ Crappy and cheap looking and for the $$$ they are asking, they should do better. I can see a Buffalo Soldier from the Iron Riders Brigade roling on this hear!
Then on yesterday, my whole world changed…If you love Electric Bicycles and want something that I call an ‘Electric Funkin’ Lesson’, you really need to check out a company here in Colorado named OptiBike. I just love the look and feel of this funk ball. The frame is thick and nasty with WILD GRAPHICS. Not only that folks, I am adverse to using black tires on ANY design I produce, but with the wild graphics on this design, I have never seen black tires look so PERFECT on a frame. I don’t know how much it costs and neither do I care because I have just created a new category in my ‘Design Funk Hall of Fame’ called ‘Electric Funkin’ Lesson. Enjoy!
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