Powerful e-bikes that technically qualify as mopeds are raising safety concerns and calls for stricter regulations. Photo: BBC
Powerful e-bikes Motorcycle makers say speeds of almost 40mph are being ridden illegally across Britain due to a lack of effective policing.
In a warning to the government, an industry group representing Honda, Yamaha, BMW and others said failure to properly enforce the law has led to the “widespread” use of e-bikes, which technically qualify as mopeds and can only be ridden with a license.
They say the proliferation of these two-wheelers, which some companies often advertise as “street legal,” is hurting motorcycle sales and creating dangerous conditions on the roads.
At the same time, manufacturers are concerned because it is too difficult for potential drivers to obtain licenses for mopeds and motorcycles.
Ahead of a meeting with ministers next week, motorcycle companies have called on Transport Secretary Mark Harper to launch a “full-scale review” of licensing.
Their warning comes as the government considers changes to allow more powerful e-bikes on UK roads despite concerns about safety and crime.
RP21
It was discovered while driving on the M25 motorway.
With a power output of over 250W and a top speed of 22mph, it is outside the EAPC regulations and cannot be driven on our roads.
The vehicle has been impounded, the driver reported.
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Potters Barhttps://t.co/ooEEwtRNl9 pic.twitter.com/f6BTZOPvhv
— BCH Road Police Department (@roadpoliceBCH) January 7, 2024
Police have caught a number of people using illegal e-bikes on motorways, while motorcycle manufacturers complain they are also being used by food delivery riders to race around towns and cities.
Tony Campbell, chief executive of Motorcycle The industry association (MCIA) said: “There are laws and regulations on this issue, but they are not being properly enforced.”
“At this point, if you are riding one of these illegal e-bikes, chances are… that the police will come and stop you is very small. And this despite the fact that these machines are very unsafe.
“Some of them are very powerful, but they are not tested to the same safety standards as mopeds.
“So are these machines illegal? e-bikes designed to stop a 13 stone person quickly at high speeds? Probably no. And most people use them without helmets or other protective gear.
“These are death traps—and people have died using them.”
Sales of mopeds and light motorcycles soared during the pandemic as lockdown restrictions prompted a surge in takeaway orders, he added.
But now many riders are switching to powerful e-bikes instead because “they know that can get rid of without a license, insurance or helmet”, and were also used by gangs to rob victims and escape through narrow streets.
Under existing laws, an e-bike must have a motor of no more than 250 watts and a speed limit of no more than 25.5 mph.
They must also require the rider to pedal rather than using the accelerator button on the handles.
However, a number of so-called e-bikes sold online are openly advertised as having faster speeds. up to 37 mph and motors up to 2000 W.
A number of so-called e-bikes sold online are openly advertised as reaching speeds of up to 37mph. Photo: Joel Goodman/London News Pictures Ltd
Sellers claim they are legit because the accelerator buttons are removable and the speed is artificially limited, although these restrictions can be removed upon request.
Bicycle “conversion kits” ” can also be easily purchased online, many of which allow you to use power. and speed exceeds the legal limit for e-bikes.
Mr Campbell added: “You see it in cities and towns all the time now. Illegal e-bikes are used by couriers who rely on the fact that no one will stop them.
“Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what laws are in place if they are not enforced.”
Sales of e-bikes bicycles tripled to more than 150,000 per year between 2019 and 2022, according to market research firm Mintel. .
Police have been accused of being lax in dealing with illegal e-bike riders. Photo: Claire Harrison/Coventry Telegraph /BPM MEDIA
Cycling groups say they can make a big difference to public health by encouraging people who might be put off by hills to cycle more often, while also helping to reduce carbon emissions by saving on traveling by car.
“Half of all e-bike trips replace journeys that would otherwise be made by car,” the Cycling Association said.
“In addition, e-bikes are used for longer trips than conventional cyclists, therefore, their beneficial contribution is correspondingly greater, and at the same time they help us travel more healthily.”
However, the growing popularity of e-bikes has led to confusion about how powerful they can be and where they are allowed to be used.< /p>
In several cases reported by police on social media, cyclists have been stopped and their e-bikes confiscated after they attempted to ride the two-wheelers on highways.
Ian Stewart, a Conservative MP and chairman of the transport select committee, said he was concerned that e-bikes could seriously injure people in collisions as they increasingly rode on cycle lanes and pavements.
He said: “Whether they are legal or illegal, it is a safety issue for both pedestrians and regular cyclists.”
“And if e-bikes are not road legal but are advertised as such, it is suggests a lack of proper enforcement of the law.”
The London Fire Brigade has warned of a 60 per cent annual rise in lithium fires. : Steve Moy
The London Fire Brigade also warned that fires involving lithium batteries, which are used to power e-bikes and e-scooters, pose the “fastest growing fire risk” in the capital.
Firefighters were called to help. According to the service, fires involving two-wheelers will occur once every two days in 2023.
Despite the concerns, the government recently proposed increasing the maximum power allowed for e-bikes to 500W, claiming it would help boost sales and allow e-cargo bikes to go uphill more easily when fully loaded. .
The proposals would also remove the requirement that e-bike motors only run when the rider is pedaling.
But the move is opposed by both the MCIA and the Cycling Association. The latter group argues that the change is “unnecessary, risky and the wrong approach” and will inevitably lead to a crackdown that will ultimately harm the market for legal e-bikes.
“No-pedaling electric bikes will feel less like bicycles pedal-powered and more moped-like in character and performance, so that over time, if not immediately, it will, in our view, prove impossible to resist calls for moped-like requirements,” the association said. government.
Motorcycle makers say the rise of illegal e-bikes is also sapping people's desire to buy a bike.
They are lobbying for licensing reform that would mean people could ride “electric mopeds” and e-scooters with a learner's license. starting at age 14.
They will then be able to upgrade to more powerful vehicles every two years, potentially earning a full license at age 21 – up from the current minimum of 24.
< p>Mr Campbell said the changes would have little impact on safety but would provide easier access to the licensing regime.
A Government spokesman said: “We want all road users, including pedestrians, felt safe, which is why we have strict laws for e-bikes, including a 25.5mph speed limit for e-assists.”
” Anyone breaking these rules may be prosecuted by the police “.
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