Bosch urges US to adopt stricter e-bike regulations that helped it dominate European market
Compared to Europe’s strictly regulated electric bicycle market, the US has fewer restrictions on e-bikes. Bosch, one of the leading electric bicycle drive system manufacturers in Europe, hopes to see that change through the implementation of tighter safety regulations.
The US market isn’t quite the wild west, but it’s much closer to that end of the spectrum than Europe’s tightly-regulated electric bike market.
Compared to the weaker, throttle-less 15 mph (25 km/h) electric bicycles in Europe, the US is home to a wide range of e-bikes with everything from low power assist motors to high power motorcycle-like designs.
Hundreds of large and small e-bike companies and e-bike drive system manufacturers compete for their own sliver of the growing pie that is the US e-bike market, whereas the European market is dominated by a few larger players.
Bosch is perhaps the biggest, with its complete e-bike drive systems found on many of the most popular e-bikes in Europe.
Claudia Wasko, the general manager of Bosch E-bike Systems Americas, recently spoke to Bicycle Retailer about Bosch’s desire to see increased federal oversight of electric bicycles in the US.
Wasko explained that Europe uses several standards for e-bikes and their batteries, including EN 15194 that covers common hazards and hazardous events related to e-bikes.
In the US on the other hand – the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) – only recommends voluntary standards from organizations including ASTM, ANSI and UL, but the CPSC does not use Europe’s EN standards.
As Wasko explained, Bosch would like to see that changed so that the CPSC also covered e-bike safety standards in a more effective way, similar to the manner they have approached other products like hoverboards:
With e-bikes becoming more important in the U.S., Bosch would appreciate the CPSC becoming more involved in the topic of e-bike safety standards.
In 2018, the agency issued a letter that “urged” manufacturers and distributors of self-balancing scooters (hoverboards) to sell only products that comply with voluntary safety standards like UL 2272, which is a standard for electrical systems for personal e-mobility devices. Bosch would appreciate a similar approach for e-bikes.
Bosch also supports US e-bike safety regulations covering the entire e-bike system as opposed to just an individual part like the battery.
Most e-bikes sold in the US market use a combination of e-bike drive components from various suppliers; the motor might come from one supplier, while the battery and controller come from other suppliers. In Europe, it is more common for e-bikes to use a single unified supplier like Bosch to produce all components of the e-bike drive system.
Standards such as UL 2849 exist to cover broader e-bike systems including the drivetrain, battery, and charger. It’s a standard that Bosch would like to see applied to e-bikes in the US.
As Wasko continued:
UL 2849 has robust functional safety requirements for battery packs and battery management systems, and it also addresses risks associated with the other components of an e-bike system. Certification includes a detailed evaluation and testing of the drive unit, display unit, interconnecting cables and connectors, electrical accessories, battery system and charger system combinations.
Standards such as UL 2849 are essential to ensure safety through the thousands of cycles of charges and discharges. Testing and validating the safety of battery packs and battery management systems is needed to minimize the risk of fire and electric shock.
Getting certified to this system standard requires an investment of both time and money. Consequently, only a limited number of suppliers has taken these efforts.
The expense of these broader certifications makes it harder for new and smaller electric bicycle companies and component suppliers to compete against established industry giants like Bosch.
This would result in e-bike manufacturers having fewer choices for drivetrain components, with the remaining options likely consisting of larger companies like Bosch that can afford the certifications.
That’s a point that Wasko also made clear, though pointed to the safety benefits as Bosch’s rational for supporting complete system certification:
A system certification could decrease sourcing options for bicycle manufacturers who prefer to purchase e-bike components separately. But brands could undertake the efforts to comply with UL 2849. From the Bosch perspective, only complete-system standards can ensure the highest level of safety.
When discussing the difference between the EU and US markets for e-bikes, Wasko described the US e-bike market as lacking maturity compared to Europe’s e-bike market. In the US, it is common to order e-bikes online from direct-to-consumer companies. In Europe, most e-bikes are sold in bike shops that serve as middlemen between manufacturers and customers.
For many reasons including their perception, e-bikes in the U.S. have not reached the maturity level of the European market. The electrification rate in the U.S. is around 8%, compared to an average of 23% in Europe, with established countries reaching even 40-50%.
Electrek’s Take
The issue of increased e-bike regulations in the US is a touchy one.
American e-bike riders enjoy the benefits of looser restrictions that allow higher speeds and power levels. In Europe, it’s common for e-bike riders in bike lanes to be passed by pedal cyclists that traveling much faster than the e-bike’s 25 km/h (15 mph) speed limit.
In the US, e-bikes are often used on larger roads and outside of bike lanes, where higher power and speed limits help e-bikes keep up with US traffic levels.
Even if the issues of speed and power are put aside, safety regulations still create a massive point of contention. Few would object to the importance of safety regulations, but those that unfairly prevent smaller e-bike companies from competing or are crafted to benefit certain suppliers of complete e-bike systems could quickly draw accusations of bias.
While complete e-bike system regulations could certainly increase the safety of e-bikes, focusing on specific components – such as batteries – might be the most prudent choice in the short term. Batteries provide the most risk of any component on an e-bike, so they seem like the right place to start. And UL-rated batteries can of course be purchased by any manufacturer.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
Tesla US sales drop to under 40,000 units following tax credit expiration, lowest in years
Tesla’s US sales have taken a significant hit in November, dropping to just 39,800 units according to new data. This comes as the market adjusts to the expiration of the federal tax credit, despite Tesla’s attempt to mitigate the blow with more discounts.
Since the federal EV tax credit expired at the end of September, the US electric vehicle market has been in a bit of a turmoil. We expected a hangover period after the rush to buy in Q3, but the numbers for November are stark.
According to new estimates from Cox Automotive (via Reuters), Tesla sold approximately 39,800 vehicles in the US in November.
That represents a roughly 23% drop compared to the 51,513 vehicles delivered in November 2024. It is also reportedly Tesla’s lowest monthly sales volume in the US since January 2022.
It’s important to note that Tesla doesn’t release monthly sales numbers and therefore, those are estimates based on data collected by Cox.
The drop comes despite Tesla’s best efforts to stimulate demand. Following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit, the automaker launched new “Standard” range versions of the Model 3 and Model Y in October, priced roughly $5,000 lower than the previous base models to offset the loss of the incentive.
Those vehicles are expected to start more meaningfully contributing to sales next year.
However, Cox Automotive suggests this strategy could have a minimal impact. Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox’s director of industry insights, noted:
“The drop certainly shows there is not enough demand for the Standard variants that were supposed to boost sales after the tax credit expiry. What’s also happening is Standard sales are cannibalizing into sales of Premium versions, especially the Model 3.”
While a 23% drop looks bad on paper, it is worth noting that Tesla is actually weathering the storm better than the rest of the EV market.
Overall US EV sales reportedly plummeted by over 41% in November. Because Tesla’s decline was less severe than its competitors, the company actually saw its market share increase to 56.7%, up from 43.1% a year ago.
Most other automakers relied heavily on the tax credit to move their electric inventory, and without it, they are seeing demand evaporate much faster than Tesla.
Electrek’s Take
It’s sad to see. Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, pushed for this to happen, and he always said that he believed Tesla would fare better than other automakers without the tax credit. He was right. The sad part is that it goes completely against Tesla’s mission to accelerate the advent of electric transportation.
Tesla used US incentives as a ladder to reach volume production, and as soon as it did, it pulled the ladder behind it so others couldn’t use it.
What a shame.
And all for what? To be a bigger fish in a smaller pond? Because that’s only going to work in the US. In Europe and China, Tesla’s sales are declining, while other automakers’ EV sales are surging.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
India’s inflation rises to 0.71% in November as decline in food, fuel prices loses steam
EV and battery supply chain research specialists Benchmark Mineral Intelligence reports that 2.0 million electric vehicles were sold globally in November 2025, bringing global EV sales to 18.5 million units year-to-date. That’s a 21% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
Europe was the clear growth leader in November, while North America continued to lag following the expiration of US EV tax credits. China, meanwhile, remains the world’s largest EV market by a wide margin.
Europe leads global growth
Europe’s EV market jumped 36% year-over-year in November 2025, with BEV sales up 35% and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales rising 39%. That brings Europe’s total EV sales to 3.8 million units for the year so far, up 33% compared to January–November 2024.
France finally returned to year-to-date growth in November, edging up 1% after spending most of 2025 in the red following earlier subsidy cuts. The rebound was led by OEMs such as the Volkswagen Group and Renault, a wider selection of EV models, and France’s “leasing social” program, aimed at helping lower-income households switch to EVs.
Italy also posted a standout month, logging record EV sales of just under 25,000 units in November. The surge followed the launch of a new incentive program designed to replace older ICE vehicles. The program earmarks €597.3 million (about $700 million) in funding for the replacement of around 39,000 gas cars.
The UK expanded access to its full £3,750 ($4,400) EV subsidy by adding five more eligible models: the Nissan Leaf (built in Sunderland, with deliveries starting in early 2026), the MINI Countryman, Renault 4, Renault 5, and Alpine A290.
US market slows after federal tax credit’s premature death
In North America, EV sales in the US did tick up month-over-month in November, following a sharp October drop after federal tax credits expired on September 30, 2025. Brands including Kia (up 30%), Hyundai (up 20%), Honda (up 11%), and Subaru (232 Solterra sales versus just 13 the month before) all saw gains, but overall volumes remain below levels when the federal tax credit was still available.
Policy changes aren’t helping. In early December, Trump formally “reset” US Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, lowering the required fleetwide average to about 34.5 mpg by 2031. That’s a steep drop from the roughly 50.4 mpg target under the previous rule. Automakers can now meet the standard largely through gas vehicles, reducing pressure to scale BEVs and PHEVs.
Those loosened rules are already reflected in investment decisions, such as Stellantis’ $13 billion plan to expand US production by 50%, with a heavy focus on ICE vehicles. Earlier this year, Trump’s big bill set fines for missing CAFE targets to $0, further weakening the incentive for OEMs to electrify.
That’s some foolish policymaking, considering the world reached peak gas car sales in 2017. The US under Trump will be left behind, just as it will be with its attempts to revive the coal industry.
China still dominates, exports surge
China remains the backbone of global EV sales, even as growth slows. The Chinese market grew 3% year-over-year and 4% month-over-month in November. Year-to-date, EV sales in China are up 19%, with 11.6 million units sold.
One of the biggest headlines out of China is exports. BYD reported a record 131,935 EV exports in November, blowing past its previous high of around 90,000 units set in June. BYD sales in Europe have jumped more than fourfold this year to around 200,000 vehicles, doubled in Southeast Asia, and climbed by more than 50% in South America.
Global snapshot
Global EV sales from January to November 2025 vs January to November 2024, YTD %:
- Global: 18.5 million, +21%
- China: 11.6 million, +19%
- Europe: 3.8 million, +33%
- North America: 1.7 million, -1%
- Rest of World: 1.5 million, +48%
The takeaway: EV demand continues to grow worldwide, but policy support – or the lack thereof – is increasingly shaping where this growth shows up.
“Overall, EV demand remains resilient, supported by expanding model ranges and sustained policy incentives worldwide,” said Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester.
Read more: EV sales *still* have not fallen, cooled, slowed or slumped. Media is lying to you.
If you’re looking to replace your old HVAC equipment, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable HVAC installer near you that offers competitive pricing on heat pumps, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to get a heat pump. They have pre-vetted heat pump installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions. Plus, it’s free to use!
Your personalized heat pump quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – *ad
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports3 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports3 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment3 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment1 year agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024