E-Scooter trials.

[Nealh]

They have been given the green light as a trial process with a view to incorporating them in to law and every day use.
They are to be banned from pavements and for road use only.
Max speed is 12.5mph.
Max permitted motor is 350w.
No training or helmets are required.
Look like this menace will become common place in the not to far future.

Can see this is going to add a lot of casualties to the road death figures.

 

[sjpt]

We'll see. Looks pretty mad, especially the 350w. I suppose that is a sop to some US interests?

 

[flecc]

With the maximum speed of 12.5 mph if designed to that and 350 watts, they should climb most hills with ease.
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[Wicky]

Just seen today a middle-age couple on their lecccy scooters bimbling along in the middle of the road i.e the white line and oblivious to traffic.

Roll on the flying cars

 

[soundwave]

why are they so expensive? or is that the death tax you have to pay as wont be buying another one ever pmsl.

 

[Nealh]

More info here

E-scooters could be legal in the UK as soon as June

Plans to evaluate electric scooters in the UK will move forward from next year, to next month.

www.pocket-lint.com

It appears that they will only be legal under a rental/hire scheme requiring possibly some insurance, else where I read that users need to have a provisional or full licence.

This has the looks of being another total balls up as we know that 20mph+ machines are already available to buy, this just won't get policed at all and will make ebikes restricted or not look silly. Accidents/incidents will be rolled all in to one and ebikers will tarred with the same brush.

 

[Nealh]

Read some more this morning and ths is the quotes I have seen.

"The Department for Transport is expected to publish its framework for e-scooters next week, which will give details of how the system of rented scooters will work. Privately owned scooters will still be banned".

" The framework will confirm that e-scooters are allowed to use public roads, cycle lanes and tracks and are exempt from vehicle registration and licensing. However, they will require insurance and will be limited to a 12.5mph speed restriction. There will be no legal requirement for riders to wear a helmet".

 

[flecc]

Read some more this morning and ths is the quotes I have seen.

"The Department for Transport is expected to publish its framework for e-scooters next week, which will give details of how the system of rented scooters will work. Privately owned scooters will still be banned".

" The framework will confirm that e-scooters are allowed to use public roads, cycle lanes and tracks and are exempt from vehicle registration and licensing. However, they will require insurance and will be limited to a 12.5mph speed restriction. There will be no legal requirement for riders to wear a helmet".

This is truly ridiculous, people will use their faster private ones under the guise of being a rentals since, as you've said, there will be no policing.

And will anyone make a 12.5 mph restricted 350 watt machine for rental companies, given it's such a tiny market for Britain alone?

Drivers will hate them even more than bicycles, with that 12.5 mph limit making them a worse obstruction, and with no hand signals to show intent either.

At least the killed and seriously injured will have to be included in the road accident statistics, so any sudden jump in those could bring some sanity back.
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[RossG]

These machines are absolutely lethal, I live just up the road from Portsmouth and whenever I visit there to shop I see them everywhere. Being a University City Students use them a lot but it's all ages that whizz around on them.
There seems to be a huge variety of scooter available, some are enormous great beasts that you can hear whining whereas other are tiny quiet and can fold down. I've seen young people carting them around supermarkets under one arm, very wise I should think now they're all the rage.

I can't figure out how scooter manufacturers manage to cram all the gubbins into such a small space on some of them, like the one I saw a couple of days ago. The platform that you stand on was about 5cm thick and there was nowhere else to hold the battery so I can only imagine it must be a flat pack unit like a bar of Galaxy chocolate.

Just thinking now, imagine some kid takes one into Tesco for safety then something goes awry with the wiring and up it goes, as we all know a Li-ion combustion is hard to extinguish. I can see notices appearing soon telling shoppers not to bring them in store because of safety issues.

 

[Scorpio]

Some background from Europe to compare with UK.

I'm in Portugal for the next few months and have been trying to find out what's legal here regarding e-bikes & e-scooters.
Local bike shops only sell 250w assembled e-bikes. Hire places only have 500w (illegal?) e-bikes to rent. No need for helmets or licences etc.
E-scooters are a common sight, one passed me yesterday when I was cycling near 20kmh, I guess they were 25kmh or above.
From a 2018 article, e-scooters limited to 25kmh are classed as bicycles (no need for helmets, licence...), range maybe 50kms (I saw a 5 year old one advertised yesterday cheap as batteries needed replacing)

Electric Scooter in Algarve Portugal - Caroline Cunningham

It was during my ‘Algarve Network Tour’ that I first heard about this type of electric scooter, brand name ‘Ego-Rider’. At that time I was visiting Algarve for just a week, reaching out to the local business community. I wanted to discover if I could fit into the way of life here, using my own …...

carolinecunningham.com

Germany (2019) allows e-scooters max 20kmh(12mph) for riders aged 14+, but not allowed on footpaths

Germany Makes Riding Electric Scooters On Public Roads Legal | Carscoops

Carmakers such as VW will look to conquer the market with models such as the Cityskater.

www.carscoops.com

An interesting (2019) article summarising the laws in different counties, click 2-International for Europe

The Comprehensive Guide to Electric Scooter Laws

*Disclaimer: Unagi, INC. has used best efforts, but does not in any manner guarantee the accuracy of the below findings regarding electric scooter laws in the United States or internationally. Elec…

blog.unagiscooters.com

In the past I have managed 40mph coasting downhill on a local road and can pedal unassisted at 10-15mph for several miles on an un-aerodynamic mountainbike.
UK restrictions of 12mph sound like a recipe for disaster, inexperienced riders moving a lot slower than the surrounding cars. 350w limit is odd when they already have a 250w limit in place for e-bikes. Where else has 350w a limit (some must - my recent kit is 350w)?

Edit: when the new laws come in, will they apply to both e-scooters (skateboards with handlebars) and e-mopeds (with seats)? Any difference between them from a legal point of view?

 

[RossG]

I forgot to mention I've seen some with seats on them ! I wonder how long it will be before someone fits a second seat ?

 

[wheeliepete]

how long it will be before someone fits a second seat ?

.....and a trailer for the kids

 

[RossG]

On a Mobility Scooter made for two .....

 

[flecc]

I'm in Portugal for the next few months and have been trying to find out what's legal here regarding e-bikes & e-scooters.
Local bike shops only sell 250w assembled e-bikes. Hire places only have 500w (illegal?) e-bikes to rent. No need for helmets or licences etc.

The S class high speed pedelecs capable of 45 kph where permitted are allowed up to 500 watts. I'm not aware Portugal allows the S class but perhaps they do.

350w limit is odd when they already have a 250w limit in place for e-bikes. Where else has 350w a limit (some must - my recent kit is 350w)?

None, but 350 watts is related to the S class above. Makers and users of those have found 350 watts the best balance between battery range and performance, so they are made for those. And in addition the e-bikes supplied to the USA where federal law allows 20 mph are usually 350 watts to give them enough oomph for 20 mph.

Edit: when the new laws come in, will they apply to both e-scooters (skateboards with handlebars) and e-mopeds (with seats)? Any difference between them from a legal point of view?

E-scooters only, since e-mopeds have their separate EU derived L1e-A (25kph) and L1e-B (45kph) laws, are registered and number plated and not allowed on cyclepaths in the UK.
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[guerney]

UCL and e-scooter operators trial sounds for the vehicles

*They're probably fine

www.theregister.com