California Begins Cracking Down On Electric Bikes

As more and more people realize the benefits of commuting via electric bicycle, the enforcement of these two-wheelers must be taken seriously. Indeed, nearly all countries in the world have one form of legislation or another governing the use of electric bikes – some stricter than others. In Europe, only pedal-assist bikes with nominal outputs lower than 250 watts can be ridden license-free.

 

In the US, meanwhile, things are much more relaxed. Yes, there’s a tiering system when it comes to e-bikes, but enforcement isn’t as strict, and higher power e-bikes can easily slip under the radar of officers, especially those with an untrained eye when it comes to electric bicycles. Nevertheless, the influx of high-powered e-bikes, especially from Chinese manufacturers that offer them cheap and fast, is a matter of growing concern.