Recent content by Ken M

Wow...thanks. Many years ago I predicted all this regulatory mess would happen. It's not all because of the 3-class legislation but it added to the confusion. The more serious problem is essentially e-motors (some of which have "functional pedals") being marketed and sold as ebikes even if...

Every Bosch drive ebike is/was 100% compliant with HR727 so NOTHING was restricting their penetration of the US ebike market....ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. They knew HR727 provided a more capable mobility solution than they were currently producing or wanted produced by other companies such that their...

Really. Bosch was/is the largest auto parts producer in the world with over $100 billion is total sales, with over half coming from the auto parts. The ebike motor division was not even $1 billion at the time they provided $3 million to People for Bikes to promote the 3-class system. Given that...

The really dumb thing about the People for Bikes 3 class system is differentiating a difference between a Pedal assist to 20mph and a throttle to 20mph. My guess is they were trying to address that Europe didn't allow throttles at all but that is likely to change given handicap people may need a...

Yes ... the original definition of a low speed electric bicycles in HR727 must be protected or we are in a deep pile of nasty regulatory capture to keep ebikes as only good for recreation/leisure/fitness solutions and not effective transportation solution as Dr. Currie intended. I get hammered...

We all need to understand what Dr. Currie really did with his multi-year effort to get HR727 passed. He move the legal purview for ebikes from the NHTSA (if a bike had a motor there were viewed the same as a motorcycle) to the CPSC, thus ebikes went into the 15 USC 2085 safety standards as a...

The CPSC / Federal regulations are supposed to establish what is legal for sale in all 50 states. Almost everyone gets confused on this fact. The states are supposed to regulate "use" of what the feds have established as a compliant "low speed electric bicycle" defined by HR727. I get a ton of...

Really. A gasoline engine motorcycle graphic for speed pedelecs from 20-28mph. Nothing intended there. Drivers license required on ebikes but minimum age of 15 who are too young for a drivers license. Also a bike or ebike can be said to be "designed to be stood upon" so not a great way to define...

I actually think that is very important point!!!

Regulating ebikes is challenging because you have brands promoting e-motos that have functional pedals as ebikes. This is highly risky because if someone riding something that is not a compliant ebike hits and harms a pedestrian they are on an illegal vehicle that can create huge liabilities. I...

There was a perception that European spec'd ebikes could not be sold in the US so there was some merit of the 3-class legislation to harmonize the US market with the much larger ebike market in Europe. The downside was that class 3 (same as speed pedelecs in Europe) could have registration...

Bosch and other industry leaders contributed millions of dollars to the advocacy group PeopleForBikes to draft and lobby for the standardized 3-class e-bike legislation across the U.S. [1, 2] Key Details of the Lobbying and 3-Class System: Industry Funding: Bosch, alongside the former Bicycle...

Can you tell me what is "unclear" about HR727? The Federal regulation as defined by HR727 was intended to regulated interstate commerce to define what is a compliant "low speed electric bicycles" that can be sold in all 50 states. The intent was for this to be "use" regulated by the states...

Seitelman Law Offices highlights "pedestrian unpredictability". Because e-bikes operate silently, pedestrians frequently step off curbs, out of rideshares, or into designated bike lanes without looking, rendering them partially or fully at fault for failing to yield the right-of-way. I think...

I think the data showing the number of pedestrians injured by ebikers is not easy to find. A recent six-year urban study found that out of all reported e-mobility and bike-related emergency room visits, approximately 7.5% were pedestrian injuries involving e-bikes, traditional bicycles, and...