More "e-bike" terminology misuse by the BBC

AndyBike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 8, 2020
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Cop probably jumped in front of it in an attempt to stop the 1/4 ton electric motorcycle.

They have a habit of doing that sort of thing.

"Stop In The Name Of The Law"....SQUELCH
 

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,191
30,598
Teen arrested after officer seriously injured by e-bike in Swindon - BBC News

Other news articles correctly describe it as an electric motorcycle.
The BBC was not necessarily wrong. All electrically driven two wheelers that are not pedelecs are e-bikes (electric bikes, aka electric motorcycles, aka Mopeds).

Our bureacracy free pedelecs, also known as EAPCs, are just bicycles in law and not in any way motor vehicles, so can never be correctly called e-bikes. That is because they are not powered by their motors, they are only assisted by them and that limited function exempted from motor vehicle law.

I keep pointing this out but unfortunately the use of e-bike still persists since the public neither know nor understand that they are only ever bicycles.
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RollingChunder

Pedelecer
Dec 7, 2023
96
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The BBC was not necessarily wrong. All electrically driven two wheelers that are not pedelecs are e-bikes (electric bikes, aka electric motorcycles, aka Mopeds).

Our bureacracy free pedelecs, also known as EAPCs, are just bicycles in law and not in any way motor vehicles, so can never be correctly called e-bikes. That is because they are not powered by their motors, they are only assisted by them and that limited function exempted from motor vehicle law.

I keep pointing this out but unfortunately the use of e-bike still persists since the public neither know nor understand that they are only ever bicycles.
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I agree with the legal terminology. The public, including anecdotally, associate "e-bike" with a Bosch powered MTB with pedals that costs a few grand. So it doesn't help when the media constantly describe motorcycles that have been crashed and caused damage and injury as "e-bikes". A common response when someone discovers I ride an EAPC is that it is dangerous and they question the legality.
 
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saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
6,812
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I keep pointing this out but unfortunately the use of e-bike still persists since the public neither know nor understand that they are only ever bicycles.
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I agree with the legal terminology. The public, including anecdotally, associate "e-bike" with a Bosch powered MTB with pedals that costs a few grand. So it doesn't help when the media constantly describe motorcycles that have been crashed and caused damage and injury as "e-bikes". A common response when someone discovers I ride an EAPC is that it is dangerous and they question the legality.
Ebike (hyphen optional) is just short for electric bike. It covers every 2-wheeled vehicle with an electric motor. It inclueds EPACs (EAPCs) as well as Sur Rons. The term "Ebike" is used in many countries and is particularly popular in Germany to describe Bosch, Brose, Yamaha, etc EN15194 compliant bicycles.

You can't make up your own rules for what words mean.
 
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,191
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I agree with the legal terminology. The public, including anecdotally, associate "e-bike" with a Bosch powered MTB with pedals that costs a few grand. So it doesn't help when the media constantly describe motorcycles that have been crashed and caused damage and injury as "e-bikes". A common response when someone discovers I ride an EAPC is that it is dangerous and they question the legality.
And we are never going to solve this problem. It used to be so simple long ago when there were just motorcycles, cars, vans and lorries.

But then we got the autocycles which should have had the Moped name. Then the petrol add-on motors for bicycles which had no vehicle name but were classed as motorcycles, followed by Scooters like the Vespa, which didn't look a bit like a pavement scooter. Then the former Ministry of Transport confused things further by giving the Moped name to low speed scooters, despite them having no pedals. And now to muddle things further the DfT have permitted rental e-scooters.

This whole two wheeler naming subject is now a big mess.
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flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,191
30,598
You can't make up your own rules for what words mean.
I'm not making up my own rules, I'm stating the law that applies thoughout the EU and the UK.

An EAPC is never an e-bike. It remains a bicycle in law.
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