However, electric bikes are subject to different laws and regulations than non-assisted bikes.<\/p>\n
So what legally constitutes an electric bike, how much assistance can an ebike provide and what are the laws around riding one?<\/p>\n
We\u2019re here to answer those questions, starting with the laws in the United Kingdom, which are the same as those in the European Union (at the time of writing), before covering the USA and Australia.<\/p>\n
You can also read our buyer\u2019s guide to choosing the best electric bike<\/a> and our explainer on how electric bikes work<\/a>. If you already own an ebike, we\u2019ve got advice on electric bike maintenance<\/a>, to help you keep your machine in top working order.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll be dealing first with the laws covering electric bikes in the UK, and that starts with defining what constitutes an ebike, or an electrically assisted pedal cycle (EAPC) to give it its technical name.<\/p>\n Not all electrically powered two-wheeled vehicles are covered by this category \u2013 we\u2019ll cover some other types later. Also, an ebike doesn\u2019t have to have two wheels \u2013 the legislation also applies to EAPCs with more than two wheels.<\/p>\n According to gov.uk<\/a>, an EAPC must:<\/p>\n Let\u2019s cover each of those elements in a little more detail.<\/p>\n An EAPC\u2019s motor can only provide assistance when the rider is pedalling.<\/p>\n It will have sensors built into the system that recognise when the rider is pushing on the pedals and provide power from the motor in proportion to this, so the bike doesn\u2019t run away with you or power you along without pedalling.<\/p>\n By law, assistance from the motor must cut out at 15.5mph (25km\/h) \u2013 that\u2019s the same across the UK, EU and Australia (but, as we\u2019ll come on to, this limit rises to 20mph in the USA).<\/p>\n You can ride an ebike faster than this, but the motor will cut out and you\u2019ll then be riding solely under your own steam. It\u2019s perfectly possible to exceed 15.5mph when travelling downhill, while a fitter rider will be able to exceed this speed on the flat, particularly on a performance-oriented, drop-bar electric road bike<\/a>.<\/p>\n The motor\u2019s power output has to be limited to a continuous output of 250 watts, too. Note that there\u2019s a newer category of cargo-carrying ebikes that can be fitted with a more powerful motor, up to 1,000 watts.<\/p>\n This L1e-A classification requires the rider to be licensed, and the bike needs to be registered and insured. Power output can be regulated by a throttle on L1e-A bikes.<\/p>\n However, the vast majority of electric bikes sold in the UK fall under the EAPC classification, so that\u2019s what we\u2019ll focus on here.<\/p>\n If an ebike falls within the EAPC definition, legally it is treated like a regular, non-assisted bike, although you do have to be at least 14 years old to be allowed to ride an electric bike.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need to register the bike and you don\u2019t need to have insurance (although we\u2019d recommend having insurance that covers theft, personal accident and third-party liability as a minimum \u2013 we\u2019ve got a guide to choosing the best bicycle insurance<\/a> for your needs). You are also not legally required to wear a helmet.<\/p>\n You can ride an ebike anywhere you are permitted to ride a regular bike. That includes on roads, cycle lanes and bridle paths. As with a non-electric bicycle, you\u2019re not allowed to ride on pavements, unless they\u2019re designated for mixed cycle and pedestrian use. You have to obey the Highway Code too, including stop signs and traffic lights.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not confident that you know the rules when riding, it\u2019s worthwhile enrolling in a cycle safety class and getting to grips with the Highway Code.<\/p>\n Until mid-2020, by a legislative quirk, electric bikes were treated differently in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK. You had to register your ebike, have a licence to use it, carry insurance and wear a motorcycle helmet, so it was treated like a moped.<\/p>\n Those rules were changed in May 2020<\/a>, so the law in Northern Ireland is now in line with the rest of the UK and an ebike that complies with the EAPC regulations above is treated like a non-electric bicycle.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve already mentioned that the motor must have a continuous peak output of 250 watts for a bike to be classified as an EAPC.<\/p>\n Some systems have a boost button on the handlebar that you can hold down to temporarily provide more power than this, which can be useful when accelerating. In all cases, the motor must cut out at 15.5mph, even if you\u2019re holding down the boost button.<\/p>\n An ebike motor\u2019s output isn\u2019t measured only in watts \u2013 its torque output and assistance levels are also important factors in its performance.<\/p>\n Torque is the amount of turning power that the motor delivers to the wheels, determining how fast the ebike will accelerate and how steep a gradient it can tackle. An ebike\u2019s torque output isn\u2019t governed by legislation.<\/p>\n Torque figures vary significantly between electric bike motors, depending on what the system is designed for.<\/p>\nWhat is the legal definition of an electric bike?<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>What is an EAPC?<\/h3>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>What are the regulations when riding an ebike?<\/h2>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Are the laws different in Northern Ireland?<\/h2>\n
Watts and torque<\/h2>\n
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