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GAND, Belgium – This year’s Eurobike will see the launch of lots of e-Bikes with over 250 Watt motors. This raises questions on the legal framework for these vehicles. These questions are to be answered at an open-to-everybody meeting during Eurobike for which the interest is huge.

Earlier Bike Europe announced this meeting in one of its eMail Newsletter. That didn’t go unnoticed. Over 30 companies registered for the get-together on European regulations for electric bicycles at Eurobike. It is organized at this moment in time because currently the European Commission is reviewing the type-approval procedure for mopeds and motorcycles.

This offers the electric bike industry a unique opportunity to start discussions with the European institutions on the legal framework, which the industry believes to be the most appropriate for their vehicles.

In cooperation with the LEVA

The meeting takes place on Saturday 5 September from 9 till no later than 12 at Eurobike in Room Berlin, Entrance East, 1st Floor. The meeting is organized by the European Twowheel Retailers’ Association (ETRA), in cooperation with the Light Electric Vehicle Associaton (LEVA). The meeting is aimed at deciding whether the industry wants to lobby the European Commission for a review of the current legislation.

To date over 30 companies have confirmed their participation in the ETRA/LEVA meeting. Among them are Biketec, Cannondale, Currie, Dahon, Fallbrook, Heinzmann, OHM Cycles, Phylion, Riese & Müller, Sanyo, SRAM, Trek, Ultra Motor and Whisper bikes. Many companies that cannot attend have expressed their interest and asked to be informed on the outcome of the meeting.

Since the introduction of the European type-approval law in 2002, the majority of the electric bikes put on the market have a motor output of no more than 250 W which is cut off at 25 km/h. These vehicles are excluded from the type-approval procedure and are classified as bicycles. Nevertheless, the electric bike offer is becoming much more diverse and a growing number of vehicles have a motor output above 250 W and/or a motor that assists beyond 25 km/h.

This development raises two questions:

1. Are the 250 W and 25 km/h limitations the most appropriate specifications for excluding vehicles from the type-approval procedure, thus classifying them as bicycles?
2. Is the type-approval procedure for mopeds and motorcycles the most appropriate homologation procedure for electric bikes not excluded from type-approval?

ETRA is prepared to defend and further the interests of the electric bike industry. For that purpose however, ETRA requires the support of the industry and a consensus on how the type-approval should be reviewed for electric bicycles. The matter is urgent since the European Commission intends to produce a first draft in November this year.

All companies involved in the electric bike business are invited to join ETRA both for the meeting on Saturday 5 September as well as for the LEVA-dinner, which takes place on Thursday 3rd September. At this dinner, the issues to be discussed at the meeting will be introduced. For practical reasons, companies that want to participate are requested to register in advance with the ETRA-secretariat: tel. +32 9 233 60 05, E-mail etra@pandora.be.
 
P.S.:

• ETRA is the European trade associations for independent bicycle dealers. ETRA regularly organises promotional actions to raise awareness for (electric) cycling among politicians and European institutions’ staff in so that they will be more likely to consider and include cycling in EU their policies: 
• ETRA organised a presentation of state of the art bicycles and electric bicycles in the European Parliament for European Mobility Week 2007. ETRA has presented a Velo-city bicycle to the President of the Parliament, Mr Pöttering.
• ETRA has organised a test-track at the Commission’s front door in the 2008 Green Week. Also presented a Velo-city bicycle for Environment Commissioner Dimas through his Communication Director, Mr Hanley.
• This year, ETRA participated in a cycling event organised by the EMAS department of the European Commission. The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a voluntary initiative designed by the European Union to improve companies’ and organisations’ environmental performance. At this year’s TREN Day, an internal event organised by the European Commission’s DG TREN, ETRA has provided for the electric bike fleet. 

• For related items on ETRA, click here
• For related items on e-Bike, click here
• For related items on LEVA, click here

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