Nationwide license for ebikes up to 45mph?

[Timpo]

Interesting article.
https://electrek.co/2019/04/16/nationwide-license-for-e-bikes/

They do give out some interesting fact too..
If 10% of car drivers switch to motorcycles, 40% of traffic congestion will be eliminated.
Also the the reason why bike lanes always appear to be empty is they're efficient. (8x more efficient than car lanes)

But the article doesn't get into much detail though.. because if they start to require license for ebikes.. what about insurance & number plates?
Do they have to be DOT/SAE approved and require turn signals, DOT headlights, taillights, mirrors, etc?

 

[Off road all day]

As long as a bike has peddles here in Nova Scotia it's street legal regardless if it has an electric motor or even a 2 stroke gas motor. I can drive on any road, around road blocks, congestion, etc. Just have to use hand signals and obey traffic laws, then pull off onto any cow path. No insurance or license needed. But this is Canada, it's only a matter of time before the gov. sees a tax grab.
I had a small boat with a 2.2 horsepower Merc outboard i used for years fishing small lakes, then one day i was informed i needed a one time licence test i could take on the net. $35 and the only way you could fail if you where a corpse, hold it a corpse could probably pass. Tax grab

 

[pnop]

I read this elsewhere, The first thought that came to mind is some people thinking "Hey, they look like they are having fun, we need to license that". I'll never buy a license for mine. I can't go anywhere near 45 though.

If I had an electric motorcycle I would.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I read this elsewhere, The first thought that came to mind is some people thinking "Hey, they look like they are having fun, we need to license that". I'll never buy a license for mine. I can't go anywhere near 45 though.

If I had an electric motorcycle I would.

The article has a misleading title. If you read the article he makes it pretty clear is he is proposing a special license for two-wheeled electric vehicles with a maximum speed above 28mph and no more than 45mph.

I think the idea of a nationwide license is hilariously impractical. In general I think he has some good ideas and some not-so-good ideas. He does raise the valid point that there is this weird legal gray area with some e-bikes and e-scooters and working out a way to make them unambiguously legal would be Good Idea.

 

[Alaskan]

Where do they get this license by vehicle capability model? Roads are shared by electric cars, cars with four, six, eight and even twelve cylinder engines. Post a speed limit for bikes (electric and acoustic) and be done with it. There are fit roadies on shared bike/pedestrian trails who routinely exceed the normal speeds of 45 kph ebikes.

 

[pnop]

The article has a misleading title. If you read the article he makes it pretty clear is he is proposing a special license for two-wheeled electric vehicles with a maximum speed above 28mph and no more than 45mph.

I think the idea of a nationwide license is hilariously impractical. In general I think he has some good ideas and some not-so-good ideas. He does raise the valid point that there is this weird legal gray area with some e-bikes and e-scooters and working out a way to make them unambiguously legal would be Good Idea.

Yes, in reality the article is a bit jumbled. You already have to have a license to ride an electric motorcycle on the streets.

 

[Off road all day]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_bicycle_laws#Nova_Scotia

Nova Scotia
In Nova Scotia power-assisted bicycles are classified similarly to standard pedal bicycles. The Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Act defines a power-assisted bicycle as a bicycle with an electric motor of 500 watts or less, with two wheels (one of which is at least 350 mm) or four wheels (two of which are at least 350mm). PABs are permitted on the road in the province of Nova Scotia as long as you wear an approved bicycle helmet with the chinstrap engaged. They do not have to meet the conditions defined within the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations for a motorcycle (they are not classed as "motor vehicles"), but they do have to comply with federal regulations that define Power Assisted Bicycles.

Thank you, i can see where state, province and country regulations can become confusing