The term includes a car bicycle, but not a tractor, electric bicycle or motorized bicycle. [Pre-1991 recodification citations: 9-1-1-2(c); 9-4-1-2.] Added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.262-2013, SEC.12; P.L.221-2014, SEC.13; P.L.82-2015, SEC.2; P.L.206-2019, SEC.9. In Norway, e-bikes are classified as ordinary bicycles according to the Vehicle Ordinance (kjøretøyforskriften) § 4-1, 5g. Therefore, e-bikes are not registered in the vehicle register and there is no application for a driver`s license to drive them. Nevertheless, there are restrictions on the construction of bicycles. The maximum rated power of the engine should not exceed 250 watts, and the maximum power speed of the vehicle with the engine running is 20 km / h (15 mph). [40] A function that reduces engine power to speeds greater than 25 km/h is mandatory. However, if the motor is not running, the electric bike or other bike only complies with the restrictions of normal speed limits. Cultural norms, speed limit enforcement, physical infrastructure and other factors are likely to play a role in bicycle speed and other cycling operating decisions made by traditional bicycles and e-bikes, and it is clear that more research is needed. Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions about e-bikes and current laws. Delaware, Iowa and Nebraska, as well as Vermont, define electric bikes as equivalent to bicycles.
Therefore, electric bikes can be used on all paths and paths where bicycles are allowed. Hawaiian law has no specific restrictions on where e-bikes can be used. A bicycle designed to be powered by human power with pedals can have an electric or gasoline motor, provided that the maximum power of the motor does not exceed 200 watts. [8] As a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), Norway has implemented EU Directive 2002/24/EC. This directive defined legal e-bikes for all EU and EEA countries for cycling „with pedal assist, equipped with an additional electric motor with a maximum continuous power of 0.25 kW, the power of which is gradually reduced and finally switched off when the vehicle reaches a speed of 25 km/h or when the cyclist stops pedaling“. The definition was incorporated into Norwegian vehicle legislation in 2003. [41] A more detailed specification will come into force with the publication of the new European standard for the safety of e-bike products EN 15194 in 2009. The lawyers of the Bike Law network are always available to answer your questions about electric bikes. In addition, we are currently developing country-specific information on the e-bike law. Electric bikes are not allowed in public places, i.e.
in an area of total or partial public access. Any type of pedal assist, electric bike, scooter, moped or vehicle with any form of propulsion, complete or assisted, other than human power, must be approved as a car, motorcycle, van, truck, bus or similar. This makes pedelecs and two-wheeled passenger vehicles with tilt control virtually illegal, as they cannot be registered as motorcycles. [35] Several bills were supported to legalize e-bicycles on New York City roads, and some passed overwhelmingly at the committee level, but none of these initiatives were heard until 2015 and then passed by the New York State Senate. Bill S3997, „An Act to amend the Highway Traffic Code with respect to the definition of electrically assisted bicycles. clarification of vehicle and traffic law on the definition of electrically assisted bicycles; clarify that electrically assisted bicycles as defined are bicycles and not motor vehicles; and establish safety and operational criteria for their use. Passed in the Senate in 2015. [117] The corresponding Bill A233 was not put to a vote in the Assembly, although it had been passed in previous years with few problems. [118] A legalization law passed in 2019 was rejected by the governor. The general laws of Massachusetts define three classes of motorized two-wheeled vehicles: motorcycle, motorized bicycle, and motorized scooter. [99] While the definition of motorized scooters includes two-wheeled vehicles propelled by electric motors with or without human power, the term „motorized scooters“ explicitly excludes everything covered by the definitions of motorized bicycles and motorcycles. The motorized bicycle is a pedal bicycle with an auxiliary motor or a bicycle without pedals with an engine with a maximum displacement of fifty cubic centimeters, an automatic transmission and capable of reaching a maximum speed not exceeding thirty miles per hour.
Motorcycle includes any bicycle equipped with an engine or a driving wheel, with the exception of vehicles meeting the specific definition of motorized bicycles. Thus, an electrically powered pedal bike or a pedalless bike with an electric motor, automatic transmission, and a maximum speed of 30 miles per hour would fall under the definition of a motorized bicycle. An electric bike that does not meet these limitations would be either a motorized scooter or a motorcycle, depending on its specific characteristics. All categories of e-bikes can be ridden on a fully controlled highway with limited access. Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles can be used on sidewalks, but Class 3 bicycles „must not be used on a sidewalk unless there is no alternative to riding on a sidewalk as part of a bicycle or pedestrian walkway.“ [144] In general, it is prohibited to operate an electrically assisted bicycle on a road marked as non-motorized and having a natural surface, unless otherwise authorized. In China, e-bikes currently fall under the same classification as bicycles and therefore do not require a driver`s license to operate. Previously, users were required to register their bike to be found in case of theft, although this was recently removed. Due to a recent increase in e-bike-related accidents, mostly caused by inexperienced cyclists driving on the wrong side of the road, running red lights, not using headlights at night, etc., the Chinese government plans to change the legal status of illegal bicycles so that vehicles with an unladen weight of 20 kg (44 lbs) or more and a maximum speed of 30 km/h (19 mph) or more. require a motorcycle license. While vehicles over 20 kg (44 lb) and slower than 30 km/h can be driven without a license.