Itsallaguess wrote:Thanks for the reminder, and that's a very good point.
I do wonder if there might be some movement in the e-scooter and e-bike area of UK regulations, and especially in the e-scooter area.
If we're really going to make a push into getting out of our cars for local journeys then I think we're either going to have to reduce some legislation or open up huge lengths of scooter/cycle lanes.
Perhaps we'll do a bit of both, but I am encouraged by how this battery technology is both being developed for personal transport, and also taken up by what seems to be an enthusiastic public.
Perhaps there's hope for us yet...
Cheers,
Itsallaguess
I'm not sure with e-scooters - at the moment the authorities are having a bit of a crackdown on them. I have some worries about sharing the roads/paths with e-scooters as they are:
1) twist and go
2) fast top speed (up to 30mph)
3) poor brakes? (I've heard, but not sure if true)
but with proper design and regulation it should be doable and it may be one way to get (young) people out of their cars for shorter journeys.
The regulations for e-bikes are fairly strict with power limited to 250W, speed limited to 25km/hr (the point at which assist cuts out, you can go as fast as you like the old-fashioned way) and no twist and go (except for walk mode limited to 4.5kph). Anything more powerful is no longer classified as an e-bike and is much more heavily regulated/ ambiguously regulated as a motor vehicle requiring type approval, possible registration and insurance.
Perhaps we need a category between an e-bike and a full electric moped (from reading the ads I'm being fed on facebook there does seem to be a couple of intermediate classes in European law, but they don't seem to have been sensibly incorporated into national regulation*) that would allow greater power (for example for cargo bikes) or a greater speed cut off for the power assist.
* and this doesn't seem to be just the UK.
Myself I'd like the cut off for the assist to be a little higher at say 20mph rather than the present ~15mph, but that's because I can easily keep my bike at >than the present cut-off on the flat and if I work can hold the bike at around the cut-off on most of the hills I ride on my commute. The ride can be a bit jerky if your speed is close to the cut-off, so I tend to keep the speed just a little below the cut-off for a smoother ride, but a slightly slower commute. I shouldn't complain as my e-bike makes my commute much more doable as I get older and less fit and means that I can keep the bike at close to 15mph up most of the hills I do on my commute, and I'm still getting a decent amount of exercise too.