All about bicycles, electric-assisted bikes, technology and safety in the press

The most common safety risks that we come across in our daily work around bicycle safety, technology and operating instructions are also published by us in articles in the leading German special-interest magazines TOUR (Europe's road bike magazine no. 1), BIKE (Europe's mountain bike magazine no. 1), MYBIKE and EMTB in order to make this information, which is important for the industry, available to a wider public.

For many years now, the Eurobike Show Daily, trade fair magazine of the annual Eurobike Show, has also given us the opportunity to publish our view of major developments in the cycle industry in full-page articles.

We also speak regularly in independent expert presentations about all areas of bicycle technology and the bicycle market. In addition, we are quoted by further special-interest magazines of the industry and the trade as well as increasingly by radio and television in their media reports, which shows us that we are spot on with our advice. The section "News" informs you about the latest news from our specialist areas. The reports and publications of this section are listed chronologically or according to areas of interest.

SAZbike, 2021/03/16
Reading time 7:45 minutes

Leva-EU presents new legal concept for electric-assisted bikes

Trade association Leva-EU proposes to the European Commission (EC) a new legal classification of light electric vehicles, also including electric-assisted bikes. Opposing winds come from the cycle industry where the fear prevails that electric-assisted bikes are in danger of being classified as motor vehicles.

The industrial association Leva-EU is working on new legal categories for light electric vehicles. The association intends to group electrically powered vehicles under the collective term Zero Tailpipe Emission Vehicles (ZEVs). Currently, many of these vehicles are classified in different categories. Speed pedelecs are subject to the EU Regulation 168/2013 and thus to the strict L-category: driver’s licence, helmet and number plate are mandatory, the cycle lane is forbidden. This category had initially been specified for gasoline-engined mopeds and motorcycles. By virtue of Regulation 168/2013 e-bikes 25 are excluded from the strict L-category. Cyclists are therefore allowed to ride on cycle lanes, without driver’s licence, helmet and number plate. E-bikes 25 are subject to the Machinery Directive. Excluded from this Directive are bicycles that are legally classified as vehicles, i.e. speed pedelecs 45.

Depending on the product range, a manufacturer either benefits from the privileges of the Machinery Directive for e-bikes 25 or struggles against the strict rules of the Regulation 168/2013. The manufacturers represented by Leva-EU are often impeded by the stricter rules of the Regulation 168/2013.

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Dirk Zedler sees success of electric-assisted bikes in danger

Dirk Zedler, Managing Director of Zedler Institute, is an independent expert in terms of safety. Zedler explains that expert reports relating to accidents or other safety problems with means of transport are a major part of his business. He reports that they would noticeably often also examine niche products, such as electric scooters or electric skateboards. Compared to their appearance on public roads their share in Zedler’s business were disproportionately high. His team and Zedler himself are of the opinion that this is due to physical reasons, for example the rollover characteristics of small wheels, just to point out one feature. He adds that he would not know any measure that could raise these products to the safety level of bicycles. If you then consider not only the greater safety of electric-assisted bikes but also their suitability for everyday use for broad target groups, for him the matter is clear: Of all non-motor vehicles, the electric-assisted bike would bring by far the greatest benefit to our society. Small electric vehicles, i.e. electric skateboards and the like, would also have their justification, but not as a means of transport suitable for the masses.

Zedler affirms that the big success of electric-assisted bikes is due to the uncomplicated use without mandatory driver’s licence, insurance or TUEV inspection and requirement to wear a helmet. The fact that the electric-assisted bike was exempt from the strict L-category by the regulation 168/2013 and the classification in the Machinery Directive is another reason for that. “This was a huge success of the cycle industry. But I see it in danger, when ever larger and heavier two-wheelers are sold as bicycles. A cargo bike with a total weight of more than 300 kilograms is no longer a bicycle for me. Parking a vehicle like this on unmarked areas, such as the pavement, already leads to conflicts. And cargo bikes weighing up to 800 kilograms have no place on cycle lanes, because accidents with these vehicles are much more dangerous than with bicycles. It seems to me that it is only a matter of time until the so-called operational risk will be discussed by lawyers. The operational risk increases with mass and speed. In this connection, cyclists are rated low, usually directly above the pedestrian. The heavier bicycles become, the higher the classification of our operating risk by the judiciary. If things go really bad, we will no longer be classified as vulnerable road users, but as those who are dangerous. This would change jurisdiction to the detriment of cyclists. And there are powerful groups who would like to see the electric-assisted bike classified as a motor vehicle, such as insurers. And probably also some car manufacturers.”

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Read the entire article here.

Author: Tillman Lambert

 

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