Alex and D8veh
Just to clarify the law,we are still working on 1982 EAPC regulations,which will only change to EU when our government finally signs up to EN15194.The following was lifted from the uk gov website and was updated May 2013,so it is current.
In Great Britain, if you’re 14 or over you don’t need a licence to ride electric bikes that meet certain requirements, and they don’t need to be registered, taxed or insured.
Electric bikes meeting the requirements are called ‘electrically assisted pedal cycles’ (EAPCs). They can be 2-wheeled bicycles, tandems or tricycles.
EAPC requirements
The requirements are:
the bike must have pedals that can be used to propel it
the electric motor shouldn’t be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15mph
the bike (including its battery but not the rider) must not be heavier than 40 kilograms (kg) if it’s a bicycle, or 60kg if it’s a tandem or tricycle
the motor shouldn’t have a maximum power output of more than 200 watts if it’s a bicycle and 250 watts if it’s a tandem or tricycle
the bike must have a plate showing the manufacturer, the nominal voltage of the battery, and the motor’s power output
Where you can ride an EAPC
If a bike meets the EAPC requirements it’s classed as a normal pedal bike. This means you can ride it on cycle paths and anywhere else pedal bikes are allowed.
Other kinds of electric bike
Any electric bike that doesn’t meet the EAPC rules needs to be registered and taxed. You’ll need a driving licence to ride one and you must wear a crash helmet.
The vehicle will also need to be ‘type approved’ to make sure it’s safe to use on the road.
So 200 watts is the current legal limit but the Dft have indicated that they will not prosecute bikes powered at 250 watts,this amnesty is in print somewhere.
The word illegal is one many of us utilised to describe bikes which fall out of 1982 EAPC but perhaps we can all agree that bikes that are outside of the regulations have to be registered and taxed and that is where the difficulty of these 350 watt bikes occurs,how do you register them?
I suppose that I took up this thread because the OP criticised the KTM bike versus the Kalkhoff BS10,thats not really a fair comparison if you have 350 watt x 28 mph available,
KudosDave
Just to clarify the law,we are still working on 1982 EAPC regulations,which will only change to EU when our government finally signs up to EN15194.The following was lifted from the uk gov website and was updated May 2013,so it is current.
In Great Britain, if you’re 14 or over you don’t need a licence to ride electric bikes that meet certain requirements, and they don’t need to be registered, taxed or insured.
Electric bikes meeting the requirements are called ‘electrically assisted pedal cycles’ (EAPCs). They can be 2-wheeled bicycles, tandems or tricycles.
EAPC requirements
The requirements are:
the bike must have pedals that can be used to propel it
the electric motor shouldn’t be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15mph
the bike (including its battery but not the rider) must not be heavier than 40 kilograms (kg) if it’s a bicycle, or 60kg if it’s a tandem or tricycle
the motor shouldn’t have a maximum power output of more than 200 watts if it’s a bicycle and 250 watts if it’s a tandem or tricycle
the bike must have a plate showing the manufacturer, the nominal voltage of the battery, and the motor’s power output
Where you can ride an EAPC
If a bike meets the EAPC requirements it’s classed as a normal pedal bike. This means you can ride it on cycle paths and anywhere else pedal bikes are allowed.
Other kinds of electric bike
Any electric bike that doesn’t meet the EAPC rules needs to be registered and taxed. You’ll need a driving licence to ride one and you must wear a crash helmet.
The vehicle will also need to be ‘type approved’ to make sure it’s safe to use on the road.
So 200 watts is the current legal limit but the Dft have indicated that they will not prosecute bikes powered at 250 watts,this amnesty is in print somewhere.
The word illegal is one many of us utilised to describe bikes which fall out of 1982 EAPC but perhaps we can all agree that bikes that are outside of the regulations have to be registered and taxed and that is where the difficulty of these 350 watt bikes occurs,how do you register them?
I suppose that I took up this thread because the OP criticised the KTM bike versus the Kalkhoff BS10,thats not really a fair comparison if you have 350 watt x 28 mph available,
KudosDave
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