If there’s a silver lining to Brexit, perhaps it’s the opportunity to revisit the law across Europe that governs, and restricts, the use of electric bicycles.
According to current law (Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles – EAPC – (Amendment) Regulations 2015), electric bikes with powered assistance to a maximum of 25 km/h (15.5 mph) using a motor of no more than 250 Watts (maximum continuous rated power output) are considered bicycles. As such, electrically assisted pedal cycles do not require type approval registration, road tax vehicle tax, a driving licence, insurance or the use of cycle helmets. They can be cycled on a cycle path and the rider must obey the same laws that apply to a conventional pedal driven bicycle.
It’s law that has been overtaken by developments in battery technology and, more importantly, the need to get car commuters onto bikes.
The promotion of electric vehicles is back to front; the government offers a financial incentive to drivers who buy an electric car, but appears blind to the wider benefits of electric bicycles and mopeds – vehicles that do not need the investment in technology and infrastructure required by electric cars. Consider also the inconsistency that sees an electric bicycle capable of 16 mph require type approval, but a good-quality pedal cycle capable of 25 mph no licensing at all.
The number of licensed vehicles in Great Britain has increased every year since the end of the Second World War, except 1991. This electric bicycle is capable of 20 mph – an example of what could be considered legal following post-Brexit reform
The latest breed of electric bicycle, or pedelec as they are sometimes called, has enough performance to be a credible and environmentally friendlier alternative to a car or moped. There are those who are understandably reluctant to see legislation that steers people away from conventional pedal driven bicycles towards electrically assisted cycles, but the need to reduce road danger and tackle pollution by getting people out of their cars demands a more flexible ideology. Increasing the current limit from 15.5 mph to 20 mph would tally with the new, lower speed limits being introduced in urban areas while at the same time making electric bikes a viable alternative for commuters currently using cars or mopeds.
Environmentally friendly cycle insurance
If your electric bicycle weighs less than 60 kg and has an output not exceeding 250W, you can get fully comprehensive cycle insurance from the ETA that includes £5 m third party cover, accidental damage and battery cover as standard.
On the face of it, one cycle insurance policy is much like another, but the devil is the detail. How much excess you will be charged is just one of the things that varies wildly between providers. Another is so called ‘new-for-old’ replacement – many insurers use this term, but if your bicycle is more than a few years old, they devalue it severely. This means you are left out of pocket when you come to replace it.
ETA cycle insurance has a low standard excess of 5% (minimum £25) and offers a new-for-old for life – however old the bike, if it’s stolen you get enough to buy a new model.
For over 25 years we have been providing straightforward, affordable bicycle insurance. Whether you use your bike to commute, shop, race or amble in the park, ETA Cycle Insurance has you covered. We never devalue bikes no matter their age, allow you to buy your replacement bike wherever you like, replace stolen quick release components and handle claims in-house.
The Good Shopping Guide voted us Britain’s most ethical insurance company 2016.
Fred
Good suggestion but, as vehicle approval is in metric, better increase the power up to 18.64mph as that converts to 30kph, the standard lower urban speed limit across the world.
Better still increase to 31.07mph (which converts to the standard higher urban speed limit across he world) and include intelligent speed limiters at the same time.
Tony
While I can see something in this with the Pedelec type of bike, I would not like to see pure electrically driven bikes being allowed to go faster. At least with a Pedelec you have to put in the effort to achieve that speed, just as on an ordinary bike. Still feels wrong to be pushing electric over pure human power, but it’s an interesting arguement.
Vivien Kitteringham
Surely it would have made more sense to lobby for this change for the whole of the EU with the help of your sister organisations across Europe. Please stop suggesting that Brexit is anything other than an environmental disaster, or do you really think leave voters and the Tories will be interested in promoting cycling?!
Ron Stewart
Increasing the power limit will result in increased differential in speed with conventional bicycles which is not good from the safety point of view on dedicated cycle routes. Anyone who has cycled in The Netherlands will be aware of the hazard presented by mopeds (broomfiets)with their petrol engines which are permitted to use the cycle paths. At least the broomfiets give audible warning of their approach, electro-assist bicycles would give no such warning.
Yannick Read
I think that most mopeds can travel 30 mph, whereas the suggestion is for the speed limit for pedelecs to be upped to 20 mph
Berno Brosschot
Not really. Faster e-bikes will appeal to those cyclists already travelling at top speed, not the average car driver. To get people out of their cars we need to create an appealing, safe environment in the form of better cycling infrastructure, while offering them comfortable, practical bicycles. Faster e-bikes will make cycling even less appealing for non-cyclists, who will not feel safe or comfortable having to share the road with fast cars or the cycle path with fast e-cyclists.
David Seymour
Whilst I obviously agree with you about improving infrastructure, I think you missed the point of the article – that pedal cycles, which can go at 25mph, are unregulated, while electric bikes are restricted to 15mph. This is clearly an anomaly.
People who don’t feel “safe or comfortable having to share the road with fast cars” may never be won over, but offering people who aren’t a fast (and as safe as any other bike), practical alternative to get from A to B may lure them into cycling; and hopefully, once out of their cars – and fitter – they may be won over to pedal cycling in the future.
Berno Brosschot
The speed at which electric bikes can travel is not limited to 15mph, that is just the limit at which the pedal assist system stops working. Above that (or indeed without the system switched on) it behaves like an ordinary bike. There is no anomaly. The point is though that fast bikes (e-bikes or otherwise) create an environment that is not attractive for a wider uptake of bicycling. No doubt you are right to think there will be a few people that could be lured out of their car by something fast and streamlined, but the majority of non-cycling people I’ve spoken to are far more interested in comfort than in speed.
Chris.
Please do not refer to road-tax, it doesn’t exist and has not done-so since 1937, when Adolf Hitler was planning his European Tour. The fact that Band-A vehicles qualify for zero-cost Vehicle Excise Duty, demonstrates that VED is not a road-tax in all but name.
Simon Bailey
Several good points in this article. In response:
1. Brexit could indeed be an opportunity for the UK to consider matching the regulatory framework of other (non-EU) countries. For example United States law 107-319 which allows 20mph and 750W, or similar Canadian regulations, or those of Switzerland where 500W is permitted.
2. Yes, British government incentives (OLEV) are perverse. A 1,500kg electric car (very inefficient way of moving a commuter) receives an incentive, whilst lightweight compact alternatives (e.g. Renault Twizy, SAM EV) are excluded. In Belgium the situation is reversed: no longer is there an incentives for cars (M1 type-approval), but instead for light vehicles (L-category type-approval).
3. A detailed research project about e-bike use: http://www.smart-ebikes.co.uk. The DfT has allocated £700k to EAPC sharing pilot scheme(s): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrically-assisted-pedal-cycle-bidders
4. The EAPC Amendment of 2015 was a positive step. It removed the mass limits, as well as the limit on number of wheels. So, why does the ETA insurance still retain the 60kg limit and restrict to bicycles or tricycles (excluding four-wheelers)? Please liaise with your underwriters to amend accordingly.
Simon Bailey (R&D, Ultra Light Vehicles)
Ian
I commute regularly 35 miles a day by electric bike. It is safer on the main road section because the higher speed means that cars have more time to see me when approaching from behind. I would cycle more frequently if the speed was higher so I would love to see reform of this law. Those that don’t feel comfortable at 20mph can always chose a lower speed. I agree with the suggestion of a change in infrastructure to create separate cycle paths too but we are years if not decades away from that.
Malcolm Bridge
While I have a lot of sympathy with the basic argument that electrically-powered bikes should be allowed to travel at least as fast as unpowered ones I am concerned at the increased possibilities for abuse that this could create. My wife and I have a canal boat and one of the problems that we, and other users of canal towpaths, face almost daily is cyclists who ride at speeds that I can only describe as reckless. Anyone who has walked in the Little Venice/Paddington Station area will be only too familiar with the problem. In the last four years we have seen one towpath walker treated by an ambulance crew for injuries sustained when hit by a speeding cyclist and dried out on our boat a second who was knocked into the canal, though thankfully not injured, by another. Neither cyclist even hung around long enough to establish what injury they had caused. At the moment, with the exception of town centres this problem is restricted to individuals with mountain bikes because rural towpaths are largely unsuited to sports ones. However, because electric bikes are, of necessity, sturdily built, I fear that that the problem will spread as towpaths will become seen as traffic-free alternatives to roads. By all means allow higher speeds but restrict where such bikes can be used.
Matt Hodges
While I am not against electric bikes as such (my wife uses an electric assist trike) I am concerned that raising the power and assistance speed limit will result in irresponsible use on shared paths and cycle tracks. When problems arise as they will, it will be all cyclists who get the blame and suffer the consequences not the powered bike users.
Joel
Lots of good comments. As a former electric cargo bike user the real change I would like to see is the removal of the power restriction and it’s replacement with only a speed limit. With careful engineering it should be possible to make electric motors that won’t deliver too much power too quickly for novice users.
My wife uses an electric bike and I doubt a few extra miles per hour would make much difference to her or most other potential converts to electric cycling. That said I don’t see much problem with an increase to 20mph – it is clear there are a number of places where speed limits are needed for all cyclists, electric or otherwise.
Artem
This is a very good idea. An increase to 20mph is fair and sensible. I am sure that the existing 15.5mph limitation puts off a lot of people considering to switch to e-bikes now.
Howard
I don’t understand the problem. Non-electric bicycles can achieve 25mph or more, so why should having electric assist up to 20mph be less safe than a non-electric bike? The max speed of both bikes will still be similar, depending on how hard you pedal, the electricity will just help you to get to 20mph more easily.