There are plethora of Class 3 e-bikes in the United States, while so-called S-Pedelecs are very rare in Europe, and belong to the most expensive class of e-bikes. (
@jodi2 can confirm it).
Thanks for leading me to this interesting thread Stefan!
I had no idea of the international situation. Even if I like the idea of a 28mph Specialized Creo instead of my 16mph version, if this is class 3 and with similar restrictions for the use I prefer my class 1 Creo Evo, as I go really almost everywhere (in nature) with it.
In Germany (and I think in most european countries) we have about 97-98% e-bikes class 1 (with a limit of 25km/h or about 16mph (in some countries 32km/h or 20mph) AND max. 250watt). Then 2% class 3 (45km/h or 28mph and up to 500watt, but in peaks these can go 2-4 times higher watts, for example Stromer bikes) and maybe 0.5% class "I-don't-really-know" with rules and specs I also don't really know.
The rules where and how to use a class 3 e-bike seem similiar like in the US or Canada (but you also need insurance, license plate, bike helmet, drivers license). But the rules for the producers seem to be much stronger here, class 3 needs special brakes&brakes levers, lights, stronger testing procedures. What makes these bikes more expensive for the producer and also much heavier. A light class3 bike like the Creo just with different firmware/a higher motor speed limit is illegal/not possible here for the brands. That's why we have such a small variety of class 3 models, expensive for the producers and several disavantages for the riders.
Goverment controls for these rules are quite strict. Last year a dutch brand which sold the same model in Germany with 16mph and in the Netherlands with 20mph was forced to change their App for new and all already sold german models, as it was possibe to change the motor limit to the dutch 20mph limit just with a few clicks. Before there where several months checks in several cities if riders where using this option in the App and they where fined.
But alltogether there are still only few class 3 controls in Germany in real life. In some cities with lots of cyclists like Münster or Tübingen more, in others less. Often the police still does not know about the technical details of class 3.
I myself had zero controls in 7 years and 50.000km with my class 3 and about 1/3 in big cities/mostly Frankfurt (but heard of 2 controls in my city which I missed by accident). But controls will increase the next years and also the class 3 knowledge of the police.
Biggest problem/danger here with class 3 is, that law prohibits using most of the cycle lanes and forces you to ride an thee road. But most car drivers do no know this and just notice a slow and disturbing bicycle, while there's a cycle lane next to the road and they don't feel amused. Depending on traffic and wideness of the road it's much safer to ride illegaly on the cycle lane. Not to do so during rush hour in or around a bigger city is often suicide. But if you use the cycle lane and have an accident with another bike or a pedestrian (many cycle lanes here are for bikes+pedestrians), it's not sure how much fault they will put on you and if your insurance is going to pay, even if you did nothing wrong and rode carefully and slowly below 16mph. So you have to watch out and to take care for others even more on the cycle lanes...
Once when I riding my bike on the bike lane in Yellowstone national park, I was fined $150.
E-bikes are legal to ride on roads in many of the national parks but I was riding at 25mph and the ranger must have followed me for about 5 miles and then he pulled me over and asked how I was going so fast.
The whole bike lane was empty and I was trying to reach the hotel at the other end before the sunset but he did not care and nor did he understand anything about E-bikes. He thought I was on some sort of motorcycle.
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This happened on that road, this lane at the right is the holy cycle lane???
This would be completely stupid and unfair. So if you would have used the normal car lane left of the white lane, everything would have been fine? I have my doubts, then this power ranger would have fined you for not using the cycle lane....
