Is Pedibal Electric Bikes with Full Throttle Legal to Use on UK Roads

Mark goes through the government sources explaining why Pedibal e-bikes are completely legal to use on UK roads without needing insurance, MOT, registration plate, or driving licence, riding them just like a push bike. Providing peace of mind.

EAPC standards and legal requirements
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrically-assisted-pedal-cycles-eapcs/electrically-assisted-pedal-cycles-eapcs-in-great-britain-information-sheet

Riding an electric bike: the rules
https://www.gov.uk/electric-bike-rules

Buy Pedibal Electric Bike
https://pedibal.com

NAVIGATA – Folding eBike
Pedibal Navigata® Folding Electric Bike – Long Range Lightweight Compact

E-CRUIZA – Fat Tyre Cruiser
Pedibal E-Cruiza® Fat Tyre Electric Bike 80Nm

MAXIMA – eCarge
Pedibal Maxima Fat Tyre Folding Cargo Electric Bike | eCargo (Non-Foldable Available)

EXPLORA – Carbon Fibre
Pedibal Explora Carbon Fibre Folding Electric Bike – Ultra Long Range

Pedibal DVSA Certified Throttle eBike Option Explained
https://pedibal.com/pages/full-throttle-ebikes-by-pedibal

So biggest question that’s constantly being asked for us at pedibal here is are our bikes legal to use on the road? Yes, they are. Um we work very closely with DVSA to do this. And this is little insight as to the criteria that we follow and and a brief understanding of how we do it and how we achieve the uh the end result which is uh UK bikes that are legal to ride in the UK with a twist and go throttle. So with the increasing uh activity on social media regarding uh ebikes and legality and specification etc. we we thought it pertinent to actually just run through a quick update of the current guidelines in place. Uh something we get asked quite often as to how we make our bikes compliant for UK EAPC legislation. So uh just to show these is a government website links on our on to from our website to the government website as well. So in in short uh the main one uh that I point to here guidance EAPC standards and legal requirements. So EAPC electrical uh electrical assisted pedal cycle. Uh this is um the main page that refers to what specification how the bikes need to be or what specification they need to be to actually meet the requirements. As you can see from from the uh from the text from the from the website. Electric assisted pedal cycle is legal term for an ebike or a cycle that can be treated the same as a conventional pedal cycle provided the user is over 14. So there’s the first point. Anyone over 14 can ride legally an ebike. There’s uh many other forms of cycles but pedex was an old terminology doesn’t tend to get used now but EAPCs is is where we’re at. All our bikes meet that specification. So to be classified under um EAPC the cycle must be fitted with pedals that can propel it. So all of our bikes all fitted with pedals have an electric motor with a maximum continuous rated output not exceeding 250 W. Again even from from the Navigator which is the first bike up to the biggest bike that we do at the moment which is the Maxima all have 250 W nominal power motors already meet that requirement. So with even without the the additional throttle option still E8 PC legislation can still be ridden the cycles as as a standard cycle. And lastly the other main point is the cutff um electrical assistance. So under pedal assist andor throttle option 15 1/2 mph. Um again all of ours are set to that um they’re capped at that speed limit so you can ride faster. soon as you ride faster, the uh the power or the power assistant drops away, which is the leak requirement. As you can see there, a little prompt there to say if it doesn’t meet that. So, if it’s got a motor that’s greater than 250 W or the speed can go to then they class they fall in different classification and that’s where a lot of the problems lie. Um in which case you need insurance, tax, registration, etc. Um that’s all explained here. But this is the uh the key the key point which we we get a lot of questions asked um you know because it’s mainly over the throttle where the a lot of the confusion lies. So what we’ve done and we’ve worked for the with the DVSA um for many years now um making sure that our bikes do meet the requirement. So pedal cycles for pedal assistance or twist and go. So we now include both options. So pedal assist only no nothing needs to be done. and they already meet the requirements if you go for the twist and go throttle option which gives that extra functionality. So it gives you the throttle option which a lot of customers like for customers that have got limited movement actually prefer that option get the mic going gives them gives them that extra benefit not a necessity by no means but it’s definitely be preferred by a lot of customers in order to benefit from that that function. Pedal cycles provide electrical assistance without the use of pedals usually called twist and go. So twist and go cycles are classified as EAPCs provided they meet the EAPC regulation. So and obviously we went through the regulations earlier on with mainly with the twist and go throttle option as long as it’s capped at 15 1.5 mph. So you can’t exceed that with pedal assistance or or throttle assistance in this case. Bikes that were produced after 2016 um to have that function uh need the extra type approval or individual type approval which is the two options you you get. Um we we opt for the individual type approval u mainly because it suits our um demand uh and it’s a lot easier for us to manage um or however individually it’s it’s quite quite a headache with regards to um the testing criteria. But uh anyway to to do that so to gain this type approval which is the requirement if you’ve got a twist and go throttle on your m on your bike obviously initially needs to meet the normal standards 250 W nominal power motor cap to 15 1 half mph and then with the addition of taking it to uh the DVSA they test the bikes and they issue a certificate that renders the bike a subcategory um it’s tested under L1E which is low power moped subcategory EAPC. This is where a lot of the confusion is. So they’re still classed as EAPC. So they’re still classed as pedal cycles because they meet EAPC criteria with that function. Uh and that certificate uh provides that confirmation that the bikes meet that criteria and they’re okay to use. Again, you got you got to to look into it. So you know pedal cycles and normal pedal cycles shouldn’t be ridden on paths should be written on the cycle paths or or the designated areas that are also highlighted on on the government website. Um so once you have that approval with type approval if the actual product itself is approved which is a higher level approval um then that type approval needs to be on the rating plate there. there’s a there’s a number that’s issued that shows that that model specific model is approved and with the individual type approvals it’s a certificate that records the VIN number from the cycle shows that individual bike also meets the same criteria and uh is okay to use but there’s there’s a few websites it’s still confusing but um as long as all the the bikes meet the criteria and we have a declaration of performance as well that shows you that they meet all this criteria um regards as the lights, brakes, uh reflectors, etc. It’s all all present on this website. um we can provide that information, but it’s just a case of offering some clarification really because it’s is confusing. But we we’re just showing you how uh and why we do what we do in relation to to getting these bikes tested because you know we with the amount of feedback we get from customers uh not not not necessarily older customers say but customers might be coming back from from injury that they want to get back on riding and these are all the health benefits as well as as well as just enjoying enjoying that feature of the throttle gives you momentum which you can introduce while pedaling. So it works in conjunction with or independently but it meets all the criteria. Um so there you go. Um when is your bike an EAPC? Again this is a bit repetitive from the other um website that the government page that we was on but it again it reiterates must have pedals. We tick that box. Can have two or more wheels. Um well at the moment we only produce cycles but obviously there’s trikes that are coming into into the phase now that all will need to meet these requirements as to um again the motors I say even in on our navigator the cruiser uh and the maxima all meet 250 W nominal power motors and they’re all capped programming via the controller so it’s all capped to to with the speed limit at 15 1/2 mph. Um so again they all already meet that criteria. Now on the uh on the on the bikes themselves. So further identification of this we’ve just actually updated uh our rating plates which are are present on the bike. So you already have the VIN numbers that are stamped into the bike themselves which is one first requirement. And then on the rating plates we’ve we’ve increased a little bit more information on there now. So to make sure again we’re still compliant with all this information. So the continuous rated to power again 250 W is mentioned on there. The manufacturer is obviously ask pedibal um and the battery voltage the maximum speed which is of 15.5 mph. We actually add a few a few other bits of information on there but in relation to that all this is on the present on the bikes. It’s also the maximum wattage is on the on the motor itself. So there’s there’s numerous numerous points in which the bikes are have have this information. And again, another recent introduction, we started to include little labels that that reiterate that on the throttle as well. So if you opt for the the non-throttle version of the new bikes, the the equipment is still there, but it’s it’s uh reprogrammed, so it will meet the the standard legislation, which is 3.7 mph. And there’ll be a little label that that shows that. and on the DVSA tested. So obviously you’ll have your certificate um and and also um there’ll be another label that mentions the 15 and a half miles now. So hopefully this will not confuse you but it’ll just give you a little more more understanding of where the information is kept and uh how you can access it and anyone can access this information and um hopefully give you a good understanding of how how we could do it and um keep our bikes legal on the roads. But thank you.