Big Changes Ahead for European E-Bike Market

[the_killjoy]

I imagine that the home made bikes would be treated the same was as kit cars with the built bike being tested as a one off.

Of course with kit cars the date of registration is that of the donor vehicle what about bikes

 

[Phil the drill]

LOL – Frigging impossible to police .

And a damn good job too!!!

PS: I for one would support the black market imports of kits and bits

Perish the thought, it would never have crossed my mind !

Of course it's all immaterial 'cos if it all came to fruitition as draughted (and was properly policed - unlikely as we only have 1 guy in charge at the moment, and he's part time!) then the ebike market in the UK would be totally dead. No one will buy at the prices that would have to be charged and the DIYers - the innovators and drivers of a past-time like ours would disappear.

If there really must be was legislation, then it should be this:-

1) The motor shall not exceed 250w (continuous) rating.
2) Refer to (1) above.
3) The physics say this is enough. everything else is expensive boll***s designed to keep nerdy jobsworth's off the dole, and justify the dubiuous existence of useless legislators, - oh and to keep the prices at ridiculous levels. Possibly also to for people NOT to use electric bikes....

Can't help it but this sort of nonsense just drives me flaming nuts!!!!

Phil

 

[etrac]

Likewise if a controller, etc, fails, and an original part can't be found and an alternative is used, the ebike would be illegal - Not tested as a whole.

Not sure about this. IMHO the new standard is only mandatory for manufacturers who want to avoid any product liability issues. Why would DIY builders have to follow this standard unless there's a national law or EU directive connected to it?

Cheers,

Chris

 

[Tiberius]

Again, as I said before, I haven't studied this particular piece of legislation, but the way most product regulations in the EU work is that they put the onus for proving that it meets the standards on the person placing it on the market.

That leads to several things.

First: Proving it meets the standard does not necessarily require having every possible variation tested. The test houses might like you to think so, but it ain't necessarily so. In house testing may be acceptable, theoretical work instead of complete testing may also be acceptable. In this respect, a lot of EU regulations show more common sense than the national ones they have superseded.

Secondly: The "placing on the market". The person doing this is the manufacturer, or the importer if the manufacturer is outside the EU. If a DIYer assembles a one-off for personal use, he is not placing it on the market, so none of the jumping through hoops is necessary. But there may be other legislation about whether he can use it on the road.

Nick