It goes without saying that e-bikes are pretty damn cool. I mean, who doesn’t love riding bikes? Plus, the fact that there’s a motor there to help your lazy legs do the pedaling means you won’t get as tired. It’s a win-win, right?
As a lifelong cyclist, I must admit that I’m biased toward e-bikes when it comes to the whole micromobility thing. But as much as I love them, it’s clear that the rules surrounding electric bicycles are murky at best, and vary wildly depending on where in the world you’re from.
In Europe, for example, e-bikes are regulated very strictly. Most e-bikes there have a strict limit of 250 watts of nominal power. Furthermore, pedal assist systems are only allowed to help riders reach a top speed of 15.5 miles per hour. Any speeds in excess of that must come from leg power alone. And usually, e-bikes with more power and speed fall in the moped category, and require insurance, registration, and a license.
Over in the US, things are extremely different. The US has some of the most relaxed e-bike regulations in the world. In fact, you’ll often see some teenager on YouTube flexing their homemade two-wheeled e-bike abomination with upwards of 20 horsepower. That said, this whole Wild West approach might soon become a thing of the past, particularly in California.
You see, in September last year, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1271 into law, rolling out some pretty big changes to the state’s e-bike rules. It's a pretty big deal for the entire US e-bike industry, as California has been considered a trendsetter when it comes to electric bicycles and other micromobility innovations.
For starters, the three e-bike classes will remain, but there will be some big changes across the board. Under the new law, throttles will no longer be allowed on Class 1 and Class 3 e-bikes, and these bikes will now be exclusively pedal-assist, with motors providing boosts up to 20 miles per hour and 28 miles per hour, respectively.
As for Class 2 e-bikes, throttles will still be allowed, but can only be operational up to 20 miles per hour. Any speeds in excess of 20 miles per hour must come from good old-fashioned pedal power.
Then comes the question of motor power output. Across the board, e-bikes were generally capped at 750 watts of power, however, manufacturers were pretty sneaky when it came to declaring the actual power figures of e-bikes. Sure, lots of e-bikes had 750 watts of nominal output, but were sometimes capable of up to double that power in short bursts.
The new regulation now sets it in stone: e-bikes must have a maximum power output not exceeding 750 watts. Too bad for e-bike adrenaline junkies—but hey, that’s still three times more power than our friends across the pond in Europe are given.
But the changes to e-bikes aren’t just about lowering speeds, they’re also about fire prevention. Senate Bill 1271 also rolls out changes to battery safety, requiring all e-bike batteries sold in California to undergo testing and certification by accredited labs. Manufacturers have been given the entire 2025 to work on this, and the provision will be enforced from January 1, 2026 onward.
Furthermore, by 2028, rental companies won’t be allowed to operate unless their e-bikes and batteries have gone through testing and have acquired certification.
So there you have it, quite a lot of new rules and regulations on the horizon. But what’s the driving force behind all this?
Well, for one, e-bikes have become more popular than ever. And the fact of the matter is that not all of them play by the rules. We’ve seen lots of e-bikes in the past that effectively blur the line between bicycles and electric motorcycles. To top it all off, there hasn’t been much regulation about who can operate these two-wheelers, too. Until now, even teenagers could hop aboard high-power e-bikes and wreak havoc in their neighborhoods.
Sure, these new rules may seem like a wet blanket meant to take the fun out of riding. But let’s be real, they’re pretty important, especially when it comes to keeping everyone on the road safe. Remember, the goal here isn’t to stop you from riding e-bikes, in fact, it’s the opposite. These regulations aim to make e-bikes safer and more accessible to all riders, or at least that’s how I see it.
But I want to know what you think. Are these new rules fair, or are they a step too far? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
