The EU Regulation on Machinery (Regulation 1230/2023) stipulates the provision of digital operating instructions for electric bicycles. In principle, operating instructions can now be provided in digital format, provided that they comply with certain requirements. These are described in Chapter II, Article 10, Section (7) of the Regulation on Machinery. As an electric bicycle is intended for use by non-professional users, safety information that is essential for safe putting into operation and safe use must be provided in paper format.
The guide to application of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC has been updated (Edition 2.3) and now also contains provisions on digital operating instructions and the associated obligation to provide safety information in paper format in § 255.
Recommendations on content and design
Neither the Regulation on Machinery (Regulation 1230/2023) nor the guide to application of the Machinery Directive (Directive 2006/42/EC) contain any further specific requirements regarding the content of the safety information. For this reason, the German bicycle industry association ZIV - Die Fahrradindustrie, together with member companies and the German association for technical communication - tekom Deutschland e.V., velotech.de GmbH and Zedler - Institut für Fahrradtechnik und -Sicherheit GmbH, has drawn up the document “Substantial safety information for electric bicycles”.
It contains recommendations for the content and design of safety information in paper format for electric bicycles. This is a non-binding recommendation without any claim to be legally binding. The document can serve as a template for the creation of safety information by electric bicycle manufacturers.
The safety information in paper format and the digital operating instructions are to be regarded as one document that is provided in two media. Both documents must be read and observed by the users.
The content was defined on the basis of the normative requirements for operating instructions in the DIN EN 15194:2017 standard “Cycles - Electrically power assisted cycles - EPAC”. It is the responsibility of the respective distributor of an electric bicycle to check whether further information is required for the specific product based on their own risk assessment.
Downloads - German
Substantial safety information EPAC – explanatory notes
Substantial safety information EPAC