The New California E-Bike Law Explained in 4 Minutes or Less!

[@anibalapunte]

In Dc it’s the opposite. The city is creating bigger bike lanes and passing ftiendly laws. that allows Bikes, Ebikes & all PEV’s to cross stop signs and stop lights as long as the coast is clear and the rider feels safe to cross. There’s also a program that DC helps up to $1500 towards the purchase of a new ebike for DC residents. Ebikes and all PEV’s can solve a lot of congestion, parking issues and high gas prices and all costs to owning a car. If we embrace progress in batteries and electric motor technology and can build a better infrastructure for people to use their powerful long range PEV to travel not only to work but across states transportation. We had a few guys from Boston Archie and NYC Tarzan that rode their Euc’s to Dc to ride with us at The Groundings weekend and the rode their EUC’s back north. If people can go to work and travel across states in their PEV’s that would be less traffic and parking and less gas ⛽️ used. Not only that bit citizens will have more money to use in other things. Imagine if we no longer needed a car and car insurance and gasoline. And other car related money to maintenance them. That’s enough money saved for a down payment on a house 🏠 But seriously 😒 we need to educate these lawmakers also that lots of physical and mental handicapped people need this technology to keep growing and just punish the bad apples that use this technology the wrong way and carelessly and not punish the whole community and its potential transportation progress.

[@stevecumming6427]

The Ebike Classes of 1, 2 & 3 are Federal Regulations defining those in those classes are bicycles and not motor vehicles. As such, no speedometer is required, license, registration or insurance. So unless I am threatening or breaking a criminal type law, the police have no probable cause to detain me & need a search warrant to examine my ebike for any throttle.

[@TheLionsDen72]

The main problem with this is they changed the wording to be 750w max for ebikes. Depending on how it gets interpretated, then technically any ebike with a 500w motor would not be classified as an ebike. Most 500w motors can peak up to 840w. The watage and throttle should have nothing to do with it. There should just be speed limit just as with cars. You speed and get caught, you get a ticket simple as that. But that is not why we are getting all these new restrictions. I believe the true reason for these new laws (and more will come) is lobbyists for the big car companies. This newer generation has grown/growing up with social media/instant gratification status and electric vehicles & Uber/Lyft. Owning a gas powered car is not as important to them. This hurts in the sales of said vehicles. Oil & car companies will do alot of things to get people back into the market. PEVs are a threat to the car industry's pocketbook and they don’t take it lightly. Just my 2 cents on the subject

[@UltraBrian]

750W motor is legal, period. Nothing to do with peak power.

[@TheLionsDen72]

​@@UltraBrian you obviously didn't read the new laws here is California. Nor do you truly understand how electric motors work. The new verbiage in the law now makes it 750w max power, i.e. peak power. Anything over would be outside of said law. As a bike mechanic for the last decade in a specialty shop and installing and working on hundreds of motors, I can tell you that the majority of 500w motors will peak over 750w of power. Legality is going to be in the hands of the officer. Hopefully you play nice when they talk to you. All it takes is one pissy cop to test your ebike and show a pic of the wattage peaking over 750w and they can claim that you modified, mislabeled, lied about its output. Who do you think the courts are going to believe? The officer or the ebiker that the car-brained folks don't want on the road or trails?

[@GMejia1974]

That’s why I’m glad I don’t live there anymore and haven’t for a long time the South is where it’s at !

[@anibalapunte]

I think too many regulations stop progress. It’s like when horses where the only means of transportation and then cars came along. If they would have banned cars from going on the roads we would not have the type of transportation infrastructure and society needs like highways and trucks. Imagine if cars where regulated to only 25 mph and no cars with more than 4 cinders where allowed on the roads. How slow would our food and food get to us and to supermarkets and stores. Slowing down progress because of a few people that don’t like a new technology is nuts. Let the bikes and pev’s push its limits. It’s like if someone stabs someone else with a knife and suddenly all knives 🔪 are suddenly illegal to have. Ebikes are also used by disabled people that can’t ride a normal bike because of health reasons. Too many laws restricting progress will set us back or completely stop the future of transportation

[@lisashiela9137]

Kinda like those silly climate change regulations but in fast forward. They slowly chip away at your freedoms, so hopefully you won't protest when the total lack of movement arrives. Sadly, humans have been proven time and time again to be willing to trade their freedoms and liberties in for an imaginary sense of security and safety.

[@thatdellguy]

I live in California and doubt the police will bother you unless you're doing something obvious. Police don't have time to look on their phone, research your ebike, and figure out if your non compliant. Its another useless law.

[@jmcminn1076]

This is probably also true. The prior existing laws don’t get enforced much if at all. The main consequence of this is likely to be more teeth behind it if they do stop you for being a hooligan on an electric bike.

[@logankennelly]

@@thatdellguy As an individual, sure. (Not that I'm a fan of laws that police only enforce when having a bad day.) I'm definitely concerned about all of the ebike shops now filled with inventory they shouldn't sell. And very little in terms of affordable options they can replace it with. Local bike shops were already struggling. They don't need to be kicked while down.

[@knightowl5729]

They should require insurance on them

[@mikealsomikealsomike7502]

They passed this law in California to punish underprivileged people so that cops could harass people on their way to work. This law only hurts bikes that are less than $2500; the rich can still buy a powerful e-bike and the poor will be subject to fines or have their ebikes impounded. That is it.

[@Mark-qv4bn]

I don't live in California, but I'm against this. I quit driving recently, and I have 3 ebikes for transportation. This law is going to hurt the poor. Shame on California

[@davidrockafeller5196]

You can get cheap e-bikes with plenty of power and battery that falls under these new laws. A lot of the expensive bikes aren't that great. One of the things that made these laws come into affect are kids on Surrons. Major problem in southern California. Then these KZbinrs hunting for likes with Surron channels highlight the issue for the government to take notice.

[@logankennelly]

@@davidrockafeller5196 No Class 3 bikes, though (and very few Class 2). For example, Lectric, one of the biggest manufacturers, offers no products that are classified as e-bikes under the new rules. The new law does not change the classification of Surron, which was never an e-bike. (Not saying it wasn't a factor, but it also does nothing to help.)

[@mikealsomikealsomike7502]

@ With all due respect, I really don't think you know the law. This is a ban on inexpensive bikes. Under this new law, please name five bikes that can go up a hill at 28mph and are less than $2500. If you can't, I know you can not because I have been researching for months. Please do not purposely spread false narratives.

[@mikealsomikealsomike7502]

@ This law only hurts one group of people, turning regular people into criminals who purchased bikes in 2024 or before. They could have said that they purchased bikes before the law went into effect, as they did with SMOG laws on other vehicles, but purposely ignoring the president shows that this law was made in bad faith.

[@lustmore]

kind of can’t blame them saw some kid today doing wheelies on a highly densely populated trail with a surron, Mainly pedestrians around too with little kids. takes one screw up and the whole thing is ruined for everyone.

[@logankennelly]

@@lustmore People keep saying that, except that the new law does not change the status of Surron. It primarily targets the cheaper, lower power bicycle market.

[@gregdean8441]

It just got ruined anyway people will still ride surron and similar bikes a stupid rule is not going to stop them .

[@RedBud315]

@@logankennelly It also targets Surron as it is now no longer considered an E-bike under any class because it goes faster than 28 with a throttle. Now it's basically an off road electric motorcycle. They would have to reduce their speed to 20 to be an E-Bike now.

[@jmcminn1076]

@@RedBud315the Surron was not a legal ebike under the old definition. The new definition mostly hits bikes that either: 1) are capable of 28mph on pedal assist but have a throttle that cuts off at 20mph. These “straddle” bikes were grey area before and are now explicitly not legal e-bikes 2) bikes that are software locked to 20mph but can be unlocked, even if the manufacturer never advertised it. For example my Rad city 5, which should be a straight laced perfectly legal bike is technically not now because there is a hidden software menu that lets it go 25mph or so. Frankly the new law really just knee caps well meaning enthusiasts. Existing laws already made things like Surrons illegal. What they needed to do was make M2 cover class three bikes, make M2 be actually easier to obtain than M1 (including being able to take the M2 test on an ebike). And create a class E license for minors that can be obtained through schools that covers minors on class 1 and class 2 bikes.

[@logankennelly]

@@jmcminn1076 Well said! I'm not sure Class 3 bikes need a motorcycle license, though. Who is that helping? But yes, if they are going to classify them as motor vehicles, they should make it much easier to license. It also opens the door to faster, more powerful bikes, which I don't hate ... but is probably not what everyone else wanted.

[@AZRockRunner]

they will have to add torque sensor into the crank, no big deal.

[@logankennelly]

Most mid-drive bikes would still be considered e-bikes under the new law. And I would _love_ to see mid-drive become the standard, but they currently tend to cost at least twice as much and it ignores that many people already own what was previously classified as an e-bike. You are also correct in the sentiment that you _can_ build bikes that comply with the law. But asking every company to shift production in 3 months and expecting most people to throw out their existing bike is, in my opinion, more unreasonable.

[@Timbodacious]

@@logankennelly It's strange too because the extra labor to weld in a mid drive and the cost of the mid drive is only around $300 more than a cheap hub motor.

[@PsychicTrout-z4v]

The depth of the ignoramity on this thread is breathtaking.

[@mytube6766]

Do these laws affect stand up electric scooters?

[@paulgithens635]

The nanny state speaks, and you will obey!!

[@UltraBrian]

We won’t obey

[@AndyHall48]

Wow! That's f🤬k up.

[@gritred5500]

Certain groups could not police themselves. These lazy law authors are uninformed of the stats autos trucks buses are judged not by capability to go fast but by operation why are bikes segmented by capability. The law assumes random and situational inspection which is always a bad practice of enforcement! Also, It is the association problem where you are assumed to be the same as other pev riders. I respect others and though I can go 50mph I go 10 or less around pedestrians and stop for elderly or small kids to pass. I wave to every biker hold my hands up to receive a wave back. I’m no saint but I look like I’m respectful of others. 1 in 20 bikers sneer at me they are the ones that assume I am an enemy just by virtue of being on a PEV

[@Timbodacious]

the loophole in this whole thing now will be dual 750 watt controllers with dual motors. Same torque same speed same watts going to "a" motor and no mention of them in the law. weeeee.

[@UltraBrian]

It’s still legal.

[@CastorTroy30]

Well, there you go! KZbinrs who put out videos doing stunts on group rides while on public roads are to blame. If you don’t agree, you’re the one doing it. Don’t look at me, I can’t pop a wheelie to save my life. 😂

[@UltraBrian]

Well it’s still legal.

[@bthunder9292]

I'll Be getting a Eride Pro Sr Or a Altis Sigma Saving Right now. People are gonna Run from the Boys. I'm here in Inglewood and Los Angeles They ain't worried about E Motos round here. Now that will give them room to Bother u if seen riding I'm sure

[@stuwest3653]

BS Explain to me how pedaling at 28MPH is safer than using a throttle.

[@RedBud315]

Definitely hard to do with a hub motor that you would have to pedal at wheel speed. I was never interested in a hub motor and wanted a crank motor that would take advantage of the rear sprockets when in pedal assist mode. I've been debating getting an E-bike for the last few years waiting for price drops but, now I'll just pass.

[@jmcminn1076]

It’s not. If anything it is less safe since a cadence sensor is no where near as precise as a throttle. This will lead to stupid like the EU where you have bikes with pedals that are not connected to the back wheel at all and act as a “throttle” because derp. Might also lead to a bike with a car style accelerator “pedal” and calling that “pedal assist” because also, derp. It’s what happens when you let people who have never riden an ebike or motorcycle write the laws regarding them.

[@stuwest3653]

@@jmcminn1076 I wasn't asking you.

[@wesleyfoster1967]

IEEE, Is the governing body of electrical design and standards United States Court System, the California State Government, the Counties of California have no authority to make any decisions.

[@ChefIan73]

😂😂🙄

[@itcomesback]

tell me you don't understand the 10th amendment without telling me

[@dporrasxtremeLS3]

Just buy a Hayabusa and ride on...

[@scottcarbone9320]

And I thought California was liberal?!

[@logankennelly]

The new law is "for the children", which California loves. From the discussion, the explicit intent is to ensure that a parent buying a Class 2 e-bike for their child isn't be converted to something more powerful. (In California, you must be 16 to ride a Class 3.) As far as I can tell, there was no consideration for adults or the feasibility of re-tooling most of the e-bike market in only 3 months.

[@C3l3bi1]

@@logankennelly i mean think of all the people using e bikes to commute. and the stores that cant sell their stock lmao this is hilarious meanwhile in dc they are encouraging e bikes.

[@Electric-Unicycles]

Why would anyone want to live in California?

[@UltraBrian]

We do

[@svencouture2598]

It’s a beautiful state!…FACT

[@C3l3bi1]

@@svencouture2598 no its a state filled with homeless peoplle