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I am puzzled by this, you can legally ride a battery operated bike at 14 on the roads with no drivers licence or insurance
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LEGAL THINGS:
LATEST NEWS (December 2004): Electric Bicycle Legislation
The UK Department for Transport confirms that two, three or four wheeled electric cycles will not be treated as motor vehicles provided they conform with the European Directive below. Crucially, this is not deemed to cover machines where power is delivered without the rider pedalling, but according to the DfT, "... our understanding is that the appropriate authorities (i.e. Trading Standards) are unlikely to take action to prevent the sale of these vehicles simply on the ground that they have neither a CoC or MAC..." In other words, the legality of such electric bikes remains ambiguous until tested in law. However, as the majority of electric bicycles in use at the present time are of this type, conflict is bound to arrise sooner or later. This peculiarly British 'muddle through' obviously applies only in the UK.
LATEST NEWS (July 2004): Electric Bicycle Legislation
It appears the UK Department for Transport is now clearly stating that electric bicycles can supply power without being pedalled. Is this the end? Not quite. The legal position of bikes caught between the UK limit of 200 watts output and the European limit of 250 watts output is still ambiguous. Our advise is to ignore this purely technical detail.
LATEST NEWS (June 2003): Electric Scooter Legislation
Electric and petrol-powered micro-scooters are not, and never have been, road legal in the UK. Recent court rulings have imposed heavy penalties on users, treating the machines as small motorcycles in law. Thus, riding an electric scooter in a public place can result in prosecution for riding without insurance, MOT, tax, and a BS-standard motorcycle helmet, resulting in hefty fines and (according to a number of recent cases) points on your driving licence. Consequently, we are unable to recommend an electric scooter. The electric bicycles below are treated as conventional bicycles, but riders must be over 14 years of age.
Our advice is not to buy any of these machines.
LATEST NEWS (20th July 2003): Electric Bicycle Legislation
Under Europe-wide type approval legislation passed in June 1999, electric bicycles that did NOT need to be pedalled for the motor to operate were banned, with manufacturers being given three years to comply (June 2003). This has now been extended to 9th Novemenr 2003.
To remain exempt from motor vehicle legislation, an electric bicycle must comply with the following:
1) power no more than 250 watts rated output
2) motor must stop when you stop pedalling
3) motor power should reduce as you reach the maximum speed (25kph)
4) maximum weight 40 kilos
5) bike complies with existing United Kingdom pedal cycle standards.
Rule 2) is new and applies to bikes manufactured after June 2003. However, the exact standards covering the way power is cut off when the pedals stop turning has not yet been written and will probably not be produced until the end of 2004. To further confuse matters, the former UK legislation (almost identical, but with a 200 watt power limit and no requirement for the motor to stop when you stop pedalling) will remain in force, bringing UK law head to head with newer EU law. This older legislation will apply to self-built vehicles and those from small importers that are not covered by the type approval legislation. To summarise:
All machines imported or manufactured prior to June 1999 remain legal
Machines imported or manufactured between June 1999 and June 2003 may need to be adapted to prevent their use in non-pedal assist mode
Machines imported or manufactured after June 2003 must comply with the new rules (but the rules may remain open to interpretation for at least another year).
Self-built machines, and those imported in small numbers are exempt from the changes and may be used in non-pedal assist mode.
If you're still confused, you're not alone. Recent clarification of the rules has raised almost as many questions as it has answered. Some machines, such as the Powabyke Euro range, can be switched between the two modes of operation - it is not clear whether these will remain legal or will need the switch disabled. And how small will a manufacturer/importer need to be to skip the regulations all together? And no-one seems quite sure whether the new rules will apply to kits fitted to conventional bikes. The Department for Transport is currently unable to answer these questions and has now suggested that it will be for the courts to clarify the law. The legal profession suggests the ball is firmly in the Department's court.
Our advice is to buy any machine you wish, but check that the retailer is willing to make any necessary changes to the specification should these be required by law within a reasonable period.
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