Don’t worry if you are confused about the laws surrounded electric scooters – it seems much of North America is too, including lawmakers themselves. Even the naming is confusing – just to be clear when this article refers to electric scooters we mean what are also known as kickscooters and not the small step-thru motorbike type objects that can also be referred to as scooters.
Electric scooters have taken the US by storm, having gone from rarity to reality over the last few years, especially public share rentals run by the likes of Bird, Lime and Spin. But these are rentals specifically authorized, usually by particular city authorities, that only authorize the deployment and use of that particular company’s electric scooters.
Rules and regs around use of your own electric scooter need local research to make sure you comply with the law
But what about if you fancy the convenience of owning and using your own electric scooter where you live or work? Unfortunately, the state of electric scooter law is only just beginning to emerge in the United States and varies from state to state and even city to city. But before we take a look at different regulations on electric scooters across the US and Canada and look at the most commonly asked questions about them lets get an overview of federal legislation.
Federal Consumer Law – Safety Standards
Actually there isn’t any Federal Law specifically on electric scooters – The Consumer Product Safety Act of 1972 was amended by Congress in 2001 so there is now a national definition of e-bikes in the US as they are classed as ‘a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of fewer than 750 watts (1 h.p.), whose maximum speed on a paved level surface, when powered solely by such a motor while ridden by an operator who weighs 170 pounds, is less than 20 mph (i.e., a low-speed electric bicycle).’
The above doesn’t tell you where the e-bike can be used, it only gives a legal definition of it. Since then People for Bikes has done brilliant work lobbying for the three-class law now adopted by 28 states across the US which does tell e-bike riders where they can ride along and states have also legislated on a host of other issues for e-bikes like whether helmet use and insurance are also mandatory – clearly many of the legal issues relating to e-bike use also relate to electric scooters.
[Read more…] about eScooter Laws and Regulations In The USA
In this week’s news:
In this week’s eBike news roundup: 
In this week’s eBike news roundup:
In this week’s ebike news roundup:
Welcome to the 2017 Eurobike show review, part Deux. If 2016 was the year the eBike reached parity with the traditional pedal bicycle industry in terms of floorspace at the major trade shows, 2017 is the year of refinement and validation.
In this week’s eBike new roundup:
In this week’s e-bike news roundup: 
