New California law makes crystal clear which electric bikes are now ‘illegal’
California has led the nation in electric bicycle adoption, helping more people than ever before switch away from cars and toward smaller and more efficient transportation alternatives. However, the proliferation of electric bicycles has also led to a major uptick in higher-power models that have flaunted established e-bike laws, often being used on public roads and bike paths to the chagrin of many local residents.
A new law that came into effect this week has now further clarified which electric bicycles are street-legal and which fall afoul of regulations.
The legislation is meant to address the growing number of high-powered electric bikes, many of which use traditional electric bicycle components but are capable of achieving speeds and power levels that give them performance closer to mopeds and light motorcycles.
This phenomenon has led to a heavily charged debate around the colloquial term “e-bike” and the regulatory term “electric bicycle”. The main question has become whether increasing the power and speed of such bikes pushes them outside the realm of bicycles and into the class of mopeds and motorcycles. That distinction is important since the legal classification of “electric bicycle” provides for such bikes to be used in the widest possible areas, including on public roads and in bike paths, as well as negates the need to tag, title, or insure electric bicycles.
SB No. 1271 was signed into law last year and came into effect on January 1, 2015. The bill covered several new e-bike regulations, including fire safety regulations and requirements for third-party safety certifications that will come into effect over the next few years, as well as a further tightening of the three-class e-bike system to limit which electric bicycles can include hand throttles.
However, near the end of the new legislation is a three-line section that clearly outlines which vehicles are not considered to be “electric bicycles” under California law.
The following vehicles are not electric bicycles under this code and shall not be advertised, sold, offered for sale, or labeled as electric bicycles:
(1) A vehicle with two or three wheels powered by an electric motor that is intended by the manufacturer to be modifiable to attain a speed greater than 20 miles per hour on motor power alone or to attain more than 750 watts of power.
(2) A vehicle that is modified to attain a speed greater than 20 miles per hour on motor power alone or to have motor power of more than 750 watts.
(3) A vehicle that is modified to have its operable pedals removed.
The three points are used to exclude vehicles from the legal definition of an electric bicycle in California. This wouldn’t necessarily make these vehicles “illegal” per se, as they could still be sold, purchased, and ridden in California, simply not as “electric bicycles”. However, they could be illegal to use on public roads or in bike paths, where prohibited or not properly registered.
This not only impacts how such vehicles could be marketed, but also where and how they could be ridden. Powerful e-bikes that now fall outside the regulatory term “electric bicycles” could still be used off-road on private property or where allowed, and could potentially be ridden on public roads if properly registered as mopeds or motorcycles, though that would also require the e-bikes to meet the regulations for such vehicle classes.
Provision 1: E-bikes designed to be unlocked for higher power or throttle speeds
The first provision covered in the new law copied above applies to e-bikes designed by the manufacturer to be user-modifiable to go faster than 20 mph (32 km/h) on motor power alone (i.e. by use of a hand throttle that requires no pedaling input), or to provide more than 750 watts of power. To be clear: This does not make e-bikes that travel over 20 mph illegal (they can still travel up to 28 mph on pedal assist) but rather targets those that can achieve such speeds on throttle alone.
Most electric bicycles in the US, even those capable of traveling at speeds over 20 mph, ship in what is known as Class 2 mode, which includes having a software-limited top speed of 20 mph on throttle and/or pedal assist. However, it is common for many electric bicycles to be easily “unlocked” by the user, which often requires just a few seconds of changing settings in the bike’s digital display. This unlocking often allows riders to travel faster on pedal assist, usually up to 28 mph (45 km/h), and on some occasions unlocks that faster speed on throttle-only riding too.
Most of the mainstream electric bicycle brands in the US still limit throttle-only speeds to 20 mph, even when the e-bike is “unlocked” by the user, meaning they would not fall afoul of the new law based on higher speed pedal assist functionality. However, several brands do allow higher speed throttle riding above 20 mph, and these e-bikes would no longer be classified as electric bicycles in California, even when in their locked state with a 20 mph speed limiter. As the law is written, those e-bikes can not be considered electric bicycles in California because they are designed to be unlockable to higher speeds than 20 mph on throttle-only.
Additionally, any e-bike that can be unlocked to offer higher than 750W (one horsepower) will now also fall outside the confines of electric bicycles in California. This regulation, based on power instead of speed, is in effect a much wider net that will likely catch many – if not most- of the electric bicycles currently on the road. There has long been a 750W limit for e-bikes in the US, but this has traditionally been treated as a continuous power limit. The peak power of such e-bikes is usually higher, often landing in the 900-1,300W range. The new California law removes the word “continuous” from the regulation, meaning motors that are capable of briefly exceeding the 750W motor (i.e. most 750W motors), will now fall outside of electric bicycle regulations.
Provision 2: E-bikes modified for higher power or throttle speeds
While the first provision above ruled that any e-bikes intended to be unlocked for throttle-enabled speeds of over 20 mph or to provide more than 750W of power are no longer classified as electric bicycles, the second provision covers e-bikes that are modified to those parameters even without being intended for such modification.
This is a much smaller category of e-bikes and is usually indicative of custom or DIY builds. Most e-bikes capable of operating at performance levels now ruled outside of electric bicycle classification have simply been reprogrammed using the manufacturer’s own modifiable settings menu on the e-bike. But some riders use other methods to increase their e-bike’s power, such as by swapping out motors or controllers with faster and more powerful alternatives.
The second provision in the law targets these types of e-bikes, which weren’t intended to have been modified for higher speeds and power levels, but have been customized to do so anyway.
Provision 3: No pedals, no bicycle
The third provision simply clarifies the pedal rule: In order to be considered an electric bicycle, an e-bike must have functional pedals.
That doesn’t mean that if an e-bike has pedals that it is automatically considered to be an electric bicycle, but only that a lack of such pedals nullifies its status as an electric bicycle under the new regulations.
This has long been the case, but is simply further clarified in the new legislation to cover e-bikes that once had functional pedals that have since been removed.
The new legislation’s definitions of electric bicycles don’t mark a major shift for California, which has long used the three-class e-bike system. However, it does signify a clamping down on e-bikes that flaunt those regulations by more clearly codifying their out-of-class status and removing their ability to pass as electric bicycles, legally speaking.
Riders of Sur Ron-style e-bikes, including Talarias and other models that function more like light dirt bikes, have long known that their bikes were not legally classified as electric bicycles. But now, many of the more traditional-looking electric bikes, including from some fairly well-known manufacturers, are likely to find themselves on the wrong side of the law. This will be especially true in cases where the e-bikes are otherwise designed to appear and function like typical electric bicycles, yet are capable of reaching 28 mph speeds on throttle only.
What do you think of the new regulations for e-bikes in California? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
tlv
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
The California Senate dropped a controversial provision of an upcoming solar law which would have broken long-standing solar contracts with California homeowners after significant public backlash over the state’s plans to do so.
For several months now, AB 942 has been working its way through the California legislature, with big changes to the way that California treats contracts for residential solar.
The state has long allowed for “net metering,” the concept that if you sell your excess solar power to the grid, it gives you a credit that you can use to draw from the grid when your solar isn’t producing.
Some 2 million homeowners in California signed contracts with 20-year terms when they purchased their solar systems, figuring that the solar panels would pay off their significant investment over the coming decades by allowing them to sell power to the grid that they generated from their rooftops.
But this has long been a sticking point for the state’s regulated private utilities. They are in the business of selling power, so they tend to have little interest in buying it from the people they’re supposed to be selling it to.
As a result, utilities have consistently tried to get language watering down net metering contracts inserted into bills considered by the CA legislature, and the most recent one was a bit of a doozy.
The most recent plan was asked for by the CA Public Utilities Commission, in response to an executive order by Gov. Gavin Newsom, was authored by a former utility executive, and used some questionable justifications, claiming that solar customers were responsible for high utility bills by shifting costs from solar customers to non-solar customers. Other analyses show that rooftop solar helped save $1.5 billion for ratepayers.
The most controversial point of AB 942 was that it would break rooftop solar contracts early. At first, it was going to break all existing contracts, then was limited to only break contracts if a homeowner sells their home. The ability to transfer these contracts was key to the buying decision for many homeowners who installed solar, as the ability to generate your own power and lower your electricity bills adds to a home’s value.
This brought anger from several rooftop solar owners and organizations associated with the industry. 100 organizations signed onto an effort to stop blaming consumers who are doing their best to reduce emissions and instead focus on the real causes of higher electricity, which the groups said are associated with high utility spending and profits.
It also resulted in several protests outside CA assemblymembers’ offices, opposing the bill. And California representatives received a high volume of comments opposing the plan to break solar contracts.
But, as of Tuesday, the language which would break rooftop solar contracts has been removed by the CA Senate’s Energy Committee, chaired by Senator Josh Becker, who led the effort. Language which blamed consumers for utility rate-hikes was also removed from the bill, according to the Solar Rights Alliance.
The bill is still not law, it has only moved out of the Energy Committee. But bills that advance through committee in California do not usually meet a significant amount of debate when they come to a floor vote, due to the Democratic supermajority in the state. It seems likely that if this bill advances to a vote, it will pass.
Electrek’s Take
The bill is still not perfect for solar homeowners. It disallows anyone with a yearly electricity bill of under $300 from getting the “California Climate Credit,” which is a refund to state utility customers paid for by California’s carbon fee on polluting industry.
The justification is thin for removing this credit from homeowners who are doing even more for the climate by installing solar… but it turns out that limitation probably won’t affect many customers, because most solar customers will still pay a yearly grid connection tax of around $300/year, and most solar customers still have a small electricity bill anyway at the end of the year.
Now, the question of a grid connection fee is another point of possible contention. This has been referred to as a “tax on the sun” in some jurisdictions, and it does feel like an attempt to nickel-and-dime customers who are contributing to climate reductions and should not be penalized for doing so. However, there is at least some rationality in the concept that they should pay to use infrastructure (but then… isn’t that the point of taxes, to build infrastructure for people to use?).
In short, even if it’s not perfect for every solar homeowner, we can consider this a win, and an example of how, at least with functional governments (unlike the US’ one), the public can and should be able to stop bad laws, or bad portions of laws, with enough public effort.
Now, if only we could apply that to those ridiculous EV fees…
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar 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.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
The XC60, Volvo’s best-selling vehicle, will soon be built in South Carolina. It will be assembled alongside the flagship EX90 electric SUV, with Volvo promising this is “just the beginning.”
Volvo brings its best-selling vehicle to South Carolina
Volvo revealed plans to begin production of its best-selling vehicle, the XC60, at its Ridgeville, South Carolina, plant.
Located just outside of Charleston, the facility is Volvo’s first US plant. After investing around 1.3 billion into it over the past decade, the “state-of-the-art, future-ready” facility assembles Volvo’s three-row electric SUV, the EX90, and the Polestar 3.
Volvo said that by adding the XC60, both as a mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV), it would “soon now produce something for everyone in its US plant.”
The XC60 has been the best-selling Volvo vehicle globally for several years now. It’s also already the brand’s most popular in the US, representing over 33% of Volvo’s sales. Volvo said that a quarter of buyers opted for the PHEV variant. The XC60 is the fourth-best-selling luxury PHEV in the US.
“The XC60 is already beloved around the world and in the US, and we’re proud we’ll soon be able to offer American families the XC60 they love, assembled here by American autoworkers,” Luis Rezende, President of Volvo Cars Americas, said.
In June, the XC60 was again Volvo’s top seller with over 20,700 units sold, up 8% from June 2024. In the first half of the year, XC60 sales in the US rose by nearly 23%.
After announcing that Q2 sales rose 4.4% in the US, Rezende said, “This quarter is just the beginning.” He added, “We are confident in the path ahead and remain fully committed to accelerating our electrification journey.”
The EX60 recently surpassed the 240 wagon to become Volvo’s best-selling vehicle of all time. Over 2.7 million XC60s are on the road today.
In late 2026, XC60 production is set to begin in the US, marking another milestone. Volvo mentioned it will continue building the EX90 at the facility “for customers who want more space or are looking to go fully electric.”
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
With the federal EV incentive set to expire at the end of September, Ford is urging its dealers to prepare for a rush of buyers.
Ford warns dealers of upcoming EV rush
Like most automakers, Ford is preparing for a shakeup under the Trump Administration. After the “One Big Beautiful Bill” was signed into law on July 4, the $7,500 and $4,000 tax credit for new and used EVs will no longer be available after September 30.
In a memo sent to dealers this week, Ford warned, “demand is expected to increase as the deadline approaches for eligible vehicles.”
The letter (via CarsDirect) confirmed that the EV tax credit “will no longer be available for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025.”
Ford blamed Trump’s new bill for the expected rush of EV buyers ahead of the incentive deadline. Although the Mustang Mach-E doesn’t qualify for the credit, since it’s built in Mexico, Ford is passing it on through a leasing loophole. While it’s still available, the F-150 Lightning does qualify for the credit when purchased or leased.
Last week, Ford launched its new “Zero, Zero, Zero” summer sales promo, offering a $0 down payment, 0% interest for 48 months, and zero payments for the first 90 days on most Ford and Lincoln vehicles.
The new campaign replaces the employee pricing for all campaign, which ran through the first half of the year. Despite outpacing the industry with overall sales rising 14% in Q2, Ford’s EV sales fell by nearly a third.
Ford spokesperson Martin Gunsberg told Electrek that electric vehicle sales were lower due to the Mustang Mach-E recall and the transition to the 2025 model year. “Our dealers can’t sell what they don’t have,” Gunsberg said.
Although the Mach-E doesn’t qualify for the credit when purchased, it’s still one of the best EV lease deals available right now, starting at $395 per month. The offer is for 36 months with no down payment required.
Ford isn’t the only one preparing for big changes over the next few months. Honda extended its ultra-low lease offer on the Prologue until the end of September. Hyundai and Kia are slashing prices with generous discounts ahead of the deadline. The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 might be the best EV deal at just $179 per month right now.
Looking to snag the savings while they are still available? You can use our links below to find deals on top-selling electric vehicles in your area.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike