Obviously, an e-bike and a moped have a few things in common. Both have two wheels, a handlebar, a seat, pedals and a motor. After that, there are a lot of differences between e-bikes and mopeds. Not all e-bikes have a throttle (though many do) and unlike mopeds, most people are willing to pedal an e-bike.
The thing about mopeds is that the pedals are as vestigial as T. Rex arms—not terribly useful. The only time anyone ever pedaled a moped was after they ran out of gas, which is to say they were an insurance plan, no more. No one pedals a moped while the motor is on, but the point of an e-bike is to add electric power to human power (whether we actually pedal or not is a matter of choice, not design, right?).
Here’s the thing about mopeds: While they seem a lot like a motorcycle, they are much closer in design to e-bikes, but legally, they are treated much like motorcycles. Mopeds and e-bikes share a number of similarities as well as a number of differences. We’re going to look at both the similarities and the differences between the two.
Why contrast e-bikes and mopeds? For one, our aim is to help people find the best e-bike for them through our comprehensive e-bike reviews and understanding that line is part of it. Second, regulation of mopeds is instructive about how government can choose to regulate transportation and because some e-bikes exceed the legal capabilities of mopeds, we want to illustrate those as a way to frame features that shoppers will want to weigh, as well as point out a looming issue.
What is a moped?
As defined by law in most states, there are two kinds of mopeds: those that go a maximum of 20 mph on flat ground (low-powered) and those that go a maximum of 30 mph, also on flat ground (high-powered). Low-powered mopeds are restricted beyond speed; their motors cannot produce more than 1000W. High-powered mopeds face a similar restriction; their motor cannot produce more than 2 brake horsepower, which is equal to 1491W.
In most states moped owners must have taken a motorcycle safety course on their way to earning a motorcycle license; in some states, a driver’s license is sufficient. Owners must register their moped, which includes license plates, and they must wear a helmet, but the registration does not need to be renewed annually. The need for liability insurance varies from state to state. The age at which a minor can ride one varies some, but is generally 16 years old.
What Mopeds and E-Bikes Have In Common
Low-power mopeds, due to their throttle as 20 mph maximum speed are little different from Class 2 e-bikes. And unlike the moped, which has a number of legal requirements, a Class 2 e-bike has few restrictions.
Riders 17 and under must wear a helmet when riding a Class 2 e-bikes, same as low-power moped. Also, while mopeds cannot be ridden on Class 1 bike paths (what we typically think of as a bike path, as opposed to a sidewalk), Class 2 e-bikes are permitted to ride them.
High-power mopeds are restricted to a maximum speed of 30 mph, just 2 mph faster than a Class 3 e-bike.
As with mopeds, Class 3 e-bike owners are required to wear helmets and be at least 16 years old. They differ in that an e-bike need not be registered.
Depending on the state, low-power and high-power mopeds may or may not need liability insurance. E-bikes do not require insurance.
Class 3 vs. Unlimited E-Bikes
We are seeing an increasing number of e-bikes that fall into a gray-ish area of the e-bike world. Some Class 2 e-bikes can be unlocked to be ridden as Class 3 e-bikes with a maximum pedal-assist speed of 28 mph (Aventon is a good example of this; unlocking their e-bikes with the aid of their smartphone app is pretty easy). However, some e-bikes can be unlocked in a way that eliminates any speed or power restriction.
We’ve noted in other pieces here on Best Electric Bikes that things happen very quickly at 28 mph and unless someone is pretty athletic and has quick reactions, riding that fast can be a bit dicey, especially if the e-bike has 20-in. wheels, which are less stable at speed than larger diameter wheels (like 27.5 in. or 700C).
While we encourage some consideration before purchasing a Class 3 e-bike, we think they are terrific and provide an important option in the e-bike universe. Unlimited e-bikes, that is, those e-bikes that can go faster than 28 mph, introduce a host of issues, all of them thorny, though.
Regulations on E-Bikes and Mopeds
History shows that when an industry won’t regulate itself eventually the government will step in to regulate it. The three class e-bike framework that guides most e-bike development and marketing is something that the industry proposed in order to get in front of government regulation.
While the three-class system offers a great deal of flexibility in e-bike design, it includes two hard stops: 28 mph and 750W. In order for an e-bike to qualify as Class 3, it can assist a rider up to, but not faster than, 28 mph. Likewise, an e-bike motor can produce a nominal wattage of up to 750, but not more, in order to conform. Peak wattage was left undefined/unrestricted.
As we’ve noted, Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are comparable in power and top speed to a low-power moped. E-bikes come with much less regulation, though. And because Class 3 e-bikes are permitted a maximum speed of 28 mph—2 mph slower than a high-power moped—they are less powerful than the high-power mopeds.
There are an increasing number of e-bikes entering the market that come with unrestricted 1000W motors (and some even more powerful than that). This concerns us for two reasons.
In terms of power and speed, unrestricted e-bikes sit somewhere between mopeds and motorcycles. It’s possible to go 35 mph—or even faster—on unrestricted e-bikes. It’s a level of speed for which riders need a certain amount of skill. From stopping distances to handling and traction at speed, riding at 35 mph demands a level of knowledge that riding at 12 mph does not.
Let’s consider that in most states high-power moped riders are required to pass a motorcycle safety course, and that’s to go a maximum of 30 mph. Riders on unrestricted e-bikes have no such requirement.
We don’t want to be doom-sayers, but it seems like high speed + no mandated education = crashes and injuries. That becomes a public safety concern. And that brings us to our second concern: What happens when the public begins to complain about accidents involving unrestricted e-bikes? Government will step in, that’s what.
Once the government steps in the clip the feathers of an industry that has flouted its own guidelines, government-mandated regulation will begin by drawing parallels. What is an unrestricted e-bike like? Why it’s more like a motorcycle than a moped. We regulate motorcycles and even mopeds, so an understandable response would be for government to write laws to require unrestricted e-bikes to be registered and insured. And they would probably also mandate safety courses and licenses for riders.
Increased regulation of e-bikes at the hands of state and local governments seems like something the e-bike industry would want to avoid, but when we consider the number of teens we’ve seen riding against traffic with the throttle pinned on an unrestricted e-bike, we can’t help but express our concern that accidents involving unrestricted e-bikes will invite government scrutiny.
Solutions
The answer to what may be a looming problem is simple. If e-bike companies don’t want to lose sales because adults are re-thinking e-bike purchases either for themselves or for their kids due to the hurdles of an education course, license and registration, then they need to act proactively. They should either propose guidelines for unrestricted e-bikes (seems a longshot) or stop producing unrestricted e-bikes (also a longshot) or get ready for the government to step in.
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