BA & ACT urge cycling industry to respond on 500W, throttle eBike regs

In February, the UK government threw the cycling industry a curve ball with a proposal to shake up eBike regulations. The proposal was wholly unexpected by some very senior bike industry execs, who questioned where the move had come from and who had initiated it.

A surprise or not, the consultation on eBike regs is nevertheless in full swing and now the Bicycle Association (BA) and Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) are both urging the industry to make their voices heard before the looming deadline.

The proposals include doubling the permissible power of eBikes and to remove the need for pedalling, which pundits fear may blur the lines between cycles and motorised vehicles, “fundamentally changing the nature of the eBike”. For balance, there are those that welcome potential changes which might aid with last mile-related eBikes.

Clearly though, with eBikes now making up such a large and growing proportion of sales for the bicycle industry, the stakes are very high indeed. Here’s more detail from the BA and ACT, both bodies strongly oppose the changes on eBike regs, for three key reasons:

“(1) It is unnecessary. The current regulations work well overall, with huge potential for growth as seen in other countries. There’s no evidence these changes would significantly boost demand – instead, for real eBike growth we need safer cycling infrastructure, and purchase incentives to address affordability.

(2) It is risky. It will take reputable suppliers some time to deliver safe, tested products to the new specification. So in the short-term this change will drive customers to order high fire risk 500W products online, and/or to tamper with existing eBikes, also with potential fire risk. Longer-term, it risks moped-style regulations on the whole e-bike category, because with no pedalling required e-bikes would be seen as a light mopeds, not as cycles. There are also as yet unquantified risks from more powerful, heavier eBikes sharing cycle lanes, risking further regulatory backlash.

(3) It is the wrong approach. The industry welcomes innovation and the potential of new micromobility vehicle categories, but these proposals do not provide a sustainable framework for these new opportunities. We strongly urge that any new vehicle types, for example 500W, throttle eBikes or e-scooters, be introduced under the comprehensive LZEV framework approach which was already proposed by the current Government, to provide category-specific regulations appropriate to each new vehicle type, and leave the well proven EAPC regulations broadly unchanged.”

Steve Garidis, BA Executive Director, said: “These proposed changes may seem superficially appealing to some users, but everyone in the industry should realise that they fundamentally change the nature of the eBike. And that puts at risk its status of being treated like a bicycle in law, rather than as a moped. We strongly urge everyone in the industry to respond to this consultation – and to urge eBike end users and customers who love the freedom of using their eBike just like a bicycle, to do so too.”

Jonathan Harrison, ACT Director, said: “EBike sales are critical to the success of cycle retailers across the UK, and we are really concerned that these proposals will put that at risk. Blurring the lines between e-bikes and mopeds risks a regulatory backlash which could easily make the entire eBike category less attractive, and that could be disastrous for the cycle trade. We’re asking retailers, and their customers, to speak up and respond to this consultation.”

The deadline is 25 April, so for those with a stake in the eBike business or enjoying their eBikes, it’s worth your time. The BA has a pre-filled email response or you can have your say on eBike regs if you email [email protected]