Things between pedelec and full blown EVs - Regularisation within the law?

ED E

NB1: Decided here was more appropriate than Cycling/Motors
NB2: Apologies if this is a duplicate thread

Bicycle - No paperwork req
Pedelec - Assistant motor only up to 25kph, Same

Boosted Board, Electric Folding Scooter, One Wheel, Chipped EBikes etc - Cannot be legally used on public roads

Nissan Leaf - Licence, Tax, Ins, Roadworthiness cert per model, all parts of RTA apply etc etc.



These modes of transport IMO have huuuge potential for modern city to make last mile connections fast and easy for all. They do have their issues (for example long boards weaving in cycle lanes is IMO not on) but function ok in other jurisdictions. Our RTAs are a mess but has anyone ever moved to creating something more than Pedelec in an updated act?

Getting off the luas and hopping on a Boosted Mini sounds great but its not worth a few grand in fines and a driving ban if a Garda is feeling motivated some morning.

Ross certainly won't be any use, but maybe somebody else?

zilog_jones

A mechanically propelled vehicle needs type approval, so it can be classified in one of the following categories: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_category#EU_classification

A car like a Nissan Leaf already has this approval as an M1 category vehicle.

Without this, they are as you say, illegal to use on public roads. This is EU and UNECE level stuff, I'm not sure much can be done on a national level. There are variations in certain countries in the EU, e.g. where "light quadricycles" can be driven with only motorbike licences (same thing that created the 3-wheel car industry in the UK pre-2000) - but I assume they still need to be registered, taxed and insured like any other motor vehicle.

loyatemu

I agree these newer electric modes seem useful, but the question is where could you use them?

A chipped eBike you could use on the road OK, but a Solowheel or Boosted board isn't really fast enough for road use, and there would be objections to people using them on the footpath. You could possibly use them in cycle lanes but what do you do when the lane ends? Pick it up and walk?

zilog_jones

loyatemu wrote: »

...there would be objections to people using them on the footpath.

I have objections with anyone cycling on the footpath. And I say this as a cyclist.

goz83

zilog_jones wrote: »

I have objections with anyone cycling on the footpath. And I say this as a cyclist.

What about kids?

No one cares about chipped ebikes. You'd have a hard time proving the person had any knowledge about it in the first place.

A lot of electric bikes go well beyond the 250 watt limit, Bosch powered chain drives as one example, they're closet to 750 watts and some of the more powerful motors maybe more. They're all type approved so perfectly legal to use as bicycles without a license.

They get around it by ramping power up slowly and having a speed limit, they're really brilliant bikes but they do make you sweat as they're designed to provide max power climbing hills in lower gears but it's still tough work on really long steep hills but means being able to do it v not.

250 watts legal limit is useless and I very much doubt most modern ebikes comply with this ridiculously low power limit.

jimmycrackcorm

zilog_jones wrote:

I have objections with anyone cycling on the footpath. And I say this as a cyclist.

There's more than one section of my commute that has cycle paths marked out on the footpaths that suddenly disappear at some point.

Interestingly nearly every one of those also has a road sign plonked in the middle of the path at some point.

ED E

zilog_jones wrote: »

I have objections with anyone cycling on the footpath. And I say this as a cyclist.

Indeed. Peds can move any direction almost instantly.

Bikes, boards, scooters, one wheels, none stop instantly (try on a board and you'll end on your face). They don't mix.

goz83 wrote: »

What about kids?

Up to 12 I'd be fine with. Men and women in their 50s currently use paths illegally - you have to ask how hostile our roads are to cause that.... another thead.

loyatemu wrote: »

I agree these newer electric modes seem useful, but the question is where could you use them?

A chipped eBike you could use on the road OK, but a Solowheel or Boosted board isn't really fast enough for road use, and there would be objections to people using them on the footpath. You could possibly use them in cycle lanes but what do you do when the lane ends? Pick it up and walk?

That doesn't make a huge amount of sense, the vast majority of cycle lanes are advisory so pretty much do not exist. They're decorative. If you're fast enough for the cycle lane you're fast enough for the road. A weak cyclist shouldnt use the N11 passing Bray, a one wheel shouldn't either. Common sense.