Do I need a licence to ride an electric bike?
No. In the UK you must be over 14 years old to ride an electric bike but you don’t need a licence, nor do you need to register it or pay vehicle tax. Your steed is an “electrically assisted pedal cycle” (or EAPC, or ebike, or Pedelec) if: the bike has pedals that propel it; the electric motor won’t assist you when you’re travelling more than 25 km/h (15.5mph); and the power doesn’t exceed 250 watts. The cycles that meet these requirements (which affect two-wheeled bikes but also tandems and tricycles) can be ridden on any cycle paths and anywhere else that bikes are normally allowed. You may find off-road bikes that can go faster than 15.5 mph by flicking a switch, but for UK law these are not compliant with EAPC regulations for on-road use.
If your ebike doesn’t meet these regulations – either because the motor is more powerful than 250W, or if it assists you when you’re riding more than 15.5 mph – it will need to be registered, insured and taxed as a motor vehicle. In this case, you will also need a driving licence, and you must wear a motorcycle helmet.
What is the law with regard to electric bikes?
The law is very simple in respect to electric bikes and treats them in exactly the same way as conventional push bikes so long as the following are adhered to:
The electric bike cannot exceed 15.5mph in power assisted mode.
The motor must be a maximum size of 250 Watts.
Power is immediately cut when the brakes are applied.
The minimum age for riding an electric bike is 14 years of age.
An electric bike must weigh a maximum of 40kgs.
Who are electric bikes aimed at?
Anyone over the age of 14! They are great for commuters who would prefer to cycle rather than drive or use public transport but don’t want to arrive at work all hot and sweaty or perhaps feel the distance they have to cycle is just too far on a conventional push bike. Also commuters can rapidly save money on commuting costs. For example, in London an annual zone 1-2 Travelcard costs £1,104. In just over twelve months you could have paid for a new electric bike (less if you purchase your electric bike through the Cycle to Work Scheme) and your commuting after this costs next to nothing whilst at the same time keeping you fitter and helping the environment.
Also those of us who are possibly not quite as fit as we’d like to be but who still love the freedom and the greenness of cycling can benefit massively from an electric bike. Suddenly hills are easy to go up again and those distances that seemed daunting before are now nothing to fear whilst at the same time helping you get fit again! Electric bikes can also allow the whole family to go cycling together again with the older or slightly less fit family members using electric bikes to keep up with the rest of the family.
Electric bikes can also be a useful part of cardiac rehabilitation programmes. Health care professionals will often recommend a stationary bike be used in the early stages of a cardiac rehabilitation programme as this can reduce deaths in people with coronary heart disease by around 27%. Cardiac patients may subsequently feel safer progressing from stationary bikes to electric bikes rather than to conventional push bikes as they require less cardiac exertion for those who have experienced heart problems.
Anyone who is environmentally aware and wants to improve their green credentials but doesn’t feel fit enough or want to use a conventional push bike will love an electric bike. Electric bikes use very little energy (only 3p per full charge) and give off zero emissions making them exceptionally environmentally friendly.
Studies have also shown that people who have an electric bike will use it far more often than a conventional push bike and will also travel further on it. Essentially electric bikes are for everyone and once you’ve been on one you’ll wonder why you didn’t get one years ago. Just to put things in perspective in 2010 in Holland (the bike capital of the world) the Dutch spent more on electric bikes than they did on conventional push bikes and in China there were estimated to be 120 million electric bikes on the road in 2010! Electric bikes are the future and once you’ve been on one you’ll understand why!