The Electric Bicycle Conversion Kit Store

We have discussed this point in various articles that how electric bikes are taking this world by storm! Their small size, light weight, affordable price and most importantly their ability to squeeze past easily in a heavy traffic makes them the perfect means of day-to-day commute. But more than that what makes them more affective is their environment friendliness! That’s the reason why various countries across the globe are changing the laws to include electric bikes!

The state of Iowa is not an exception to this fact. The state of Iowa changed the definition of bicycle in the year 2006 to include a bicycle that has an electric motor of less than 1 KW. This definition is can be found in ‘Iowa code’ section 321.1(40) c. This definition states that, a Bicycle means either of the following;

• A device having two wheel and having at least one saddle or seat for a rider which is propelled by human power.
• A device having two or three wheel with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 W whose maximum speed, when driven on a paved level surface, is not more than 20 miles per hour.

We will continue our discussion with Kentucky in the next article!

Previously, we discussed Hawaii, where electric bikes are prohibited by law. But that’s not the case with the state of Illinois. The state of Illinois clearly mentions ‘low speed bicycles’ in section 11-1516 under the Illinois state regulation 625 ILCS-5. By ‘low speed bicycles’ the law means low speed electric bicycles or low speed gas bicycle. We are going to discuss these regulations in the following article.

Section 11-1516 lays down following regulations;

• In order to use electric bike, the rider must be at least 16. Also he must wear a helmet while riding the bike.
• Speed limit for the electric bike is 20 miles per hour.
• Electric bikes are allowed on any highway, street or roadway. But they are prohibited on any type of sidewalks.
• In order to possess an electric bike, one does not require any insurance, registration or license. They are exempted from all the paperwork.
• All the normal traffic rules, that are applicable to normal bicycles, are also applicable to electric bikes.

This is the normal outline of the regulations that are drawn by the state assembly of Illinois. In the next article, we will discuss various regulations put forth by the state of Iowa.

Till now we have discussed laws and regulations abiding electric bikes in various states across the United States of America. We are not done yet as we still have many states left to discuss. In this article, we will discuss laws and legal issues surrounding electric bikes in the state of Hawaii.

As far as the state of Hawaii is considered, any kind of electric bike is considered illegal! Unlike other states, Hawaii does not entertain electric vehicles. Vehicle nearest to the electric bike, that’s legal in Hawaii, is moped! The state of Hawaii defines ‘mopeds’ as a device upon which a person may ride which has either two or three wheels in contact with ground and equipped with a motor having maximum power output capability, measured in accordance with the society of automotive engineers standard, of 2 horse power (1492 watts) or less. If the moped uses piston displacement mechanism then the power output limit for the same is 50cc. This power mechanism must be able to propel the moped unassisted on a level surface at a speed of not more than 30 miles per hour. Plus the moped must have a direct or automatic transmission system which requires no clutch or gear shift operation by the moped driver.

The state of Florida defines regulations for various types of automobiles in its legislation called ‘Florida DMV Procedure RS-61 II’. It clearly defines dirt bikes, electric bikes, motorized vehicles, normal bicycles, motorized scooters and so on. Our scope of discussion is limited to electric bikes and motorized scooters. In the following article, we will discuss various regulations applicable to electric bicycles and motorized scooters.

We will start with electric bikes. In Florida, electric bikes are defined as ‘electric helper motor bicycles’. In order to ride them the rider must be at least 16 and need not possess a driver’s license. The speed limit for the bike is 20 miles per hour and the bike can have either two or three wheels. The maximum height of the seat, when adjusted to its maximum height, must not be more than 25 inches from the ground level. Plus the rider must wear a helmet all the time while riding on an E-bike. All the traffic regulations apply to the bike.

Motorized scooter is defined as any vehicle having not more than three wheels and not capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed greater than 30 miles per hour.

In the forthcoming article, we will discuss regulations put forth by the state of Hawaii.

Previously, we discussed regulations put forward by the state of Connecticut. Here in this article, we will be discussing regulations put forward by the state of Columbia and New York. Both of these states differ in their policies and laws. We will discuss various changes adapted by them.

We will start our discussion with Columbia. Unlike other states, where electric bikes need no inspection and insurance, Columbia choose to differ! If you want to use an electric bi-cycle in the state of Columbia then you must register and inspect the bike in a proper way. Plus you need to have bike insurance. The rider must be 18 and a holder of a driving license in order to drive the bike. The bike can have two or three wheels and must not cross the speed limit of 35 mph. the bike must have an electric motor producing not more than 1.5 HP. Wheels must be at least 16 inches in diameter.

As far as New York is concerned, there are no regulations for electric bikes as they are banned from use on streets. There’s a bill though to allow electric bikes. The bill A 2393 has been passed by NY state assembly.

Till now we have discussed various regulations and legal issues governing the use of electric bikes in Alabama, Arkansas, California and Colorado. Except for the Boulder city in the state of Colorado, electric bike is given lenience in various regulations in all the remaining states mentioned above. But in the state of Connecticut, things are quite different. We will discuss all those regulations in the following article.

Connecticut defines electric bikes as the bi-cycles having ‘helper’ motor. In order to use these electric bikes, the rider must possess a valid motor vehicle operator’s license. The speed limit for the bike is 30 miles per hour. Most importantly, these bikes are not allowed on sidewalks, limited access highways or turnpike. ‘Helper’ motor must not produce power more than 2HP and must be equipped with an automatic transmission. Local jurisdiction can pass law at variance with the state laws. If the helper motor uses piston displacement as a means of power production then it must not exceed 50cc. And bi-cycle can be operated by foot or hand power or helper motor.

If you don’t have a driver’s license, then you can obtain a special permit which shows that you are capable of handling the bike with and without motor assistance. To get this permit you have to make doctor fill out a certificate for the same.

As far as the state of Colorado is concerned, apart from bike specifications there are several legal issues that set Colorado apart from other states. The electric bike definition in Colorado follows the HR 727 national law. There’s a common misconception that when ‘motorized vehicles’ or ‘motor vehicles’ are disallowed by law, that would make electric bikes illegal on trails. Well that’s definitely not the case in Colorado. We will discuss the regulations and legal issues in the following article.

As far as the specifications go, an electric bike must not cross the speed limit of 20 mph i.e. 30 Kmph and must be powered by a motor producing power not more than 750 W or 1HP. The bike can have either two or three wheels and must have pedals. Low powered electric bike are allowed on roads and bike lanes unless the city has passed any law to the contrary. Till date, as far as Colorado is concerned, only the Boulder city bans electric bikes over 400W from bike lanes and bike paths. These bikes are not allowed on certain high speed highways and all interstates unless signed as ‘allowed’ in certain rural interstate stretches. Unless a law has been passed to the contrary, electric bikes are allowed on sidewalks and trails.

Boulder city doesn’t allow bikes on sidewalks and trails.

Alabama and Arkansas are a bit lenient when it comes to regulation regarding electric bi-cycles. But it’s not the case with California. The state of California clearly defines an electric bi-cycle in the California vehicle code. Broadly, electric bi-cycles are to be operated like a normal bi-cycle in California. And there are several regulations that must be followed while using the e-bike. We will discuss those regulations in the following article.

To start with, in order to use an E-bike in California, the rider does not require any driver’s license, registration, insurance or a license plate. Motorized bi-cycle is not a motorized vehicle. So the head ache of paper work is largely reduced in the state of California. The rider must be at least 16 years old in order to use the bike. All the traffic regulations apply to the bike so mind when you use it next time. And rider must wear a helmet while riding the bike.

As far as bike specifications are concerned, the bike must have an electric motor that has an output of not more than 1000W and is incapable of propelling the device at a speed not more than 20 mph. The bike must not cross this speed limit even when human efforts are applied. Bike must cease to function when the motor and human efforts are removed!

Previously, we discussed how America is planning to change the picture of CO₂  emission in various states across its borders. Here we will begin the discussion with Alabama and Arkansas. We will be discussing the basic definitions, which define the use of electric bi-cycles in the respective state, and the normal regulations that must be followed in order to actually use the bike.

As said, we will start with Alabama. The state of Alabama defines an electric bike as a motor driven bi-cycle. Basically, it is a bi-cycles attached with a motor of rated power. In order to use electric bikes in Alabama, the rider must possess M class license. A restricted M class driver’s license is available for users as young as 14.

Arkansas, officially, does not define an electric bike. By law there, a motorized bike is a bi-cycle with an automated transmission and a motor not more than 50cc. But as electric bikes are electric and have no cylinder capacity, laws abiding motorized bikes do not apply to electric bi-cycles. In order to use the electric bike, rider must have either a certificated to operate the bike or a proper driver’s license of class A, B, C or D.

Certificates are not issued to riders below 10 years of age!

Unites States of America is the world’s third largest country. Along with that, it is the world’s leading consumer of crude oil! And as we know, those oil deposits won’t last forever. America also knows that. This is the reason why they push rest of the world to go green!  As the world has found that electric bi-cycles are the most economic way of going green; America is also following the suit. In the forthcoming series of articles, we will discuss various Federal laws governing electric bi-cycles in various US states.

The US code of motor vehicle safety simply defines low-speed electric bi-cycles as consumer products and not motor vehicles. By doing so, they transfer the authority of governing electric bi-cycles to Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). According to CPSC, commercially manufactured low-speed electric vehicles must have fully operable pedals, an electric motor having power not more that 750W and a speed limit of 20 miles (32 Kmph). The weight of the bike along with the rider must not exceed 150 pounds. An electric vehicle falling within these specifications will be called simply as ‘Bi-cycles’.

The legislation enacting this amendment to the CPSC is also known as HR 727.