AstheprincipalbicyclemanufacturersandsuppliersintheUnitedStates,accountablefora$6billionindustry,wesupportlegislationthatwouldupdatelawsaroundtheuseofelectricbicycles(“e-bikes”).Adaptinglawstoevolvingbicycletechnologyisgrowinginimportance.Moreandmorecyclistsareusinge-bikes,especiallythosewhowishtocontinueridingabicyclebutwhoarelimitedbyage,disabilityorphysicalcapacity.E-bikesaredesignedlikeregularbicyclesaccordingtofederalmanufacturingstandardsforconsumerproducts,butareeasiertooperatethroughtheassistanceofasmallelectricmotorthatisactivatedwhenpedaling.E-bikesaresafe,supportlocalandnationaleconomiesanddisplacevehicularemissions.Asanewandcleantechnologytransportationandrecreationoption,theirwidespreadusecanbringthepleasureandfreedomofbicyclingtomillionswithnoknowncompromiseinconsumersafety.Growinge-bikesalesalsosupportsmallbusinesses,assensiblee-bikepoliciesincreasevisitationtolocalbicycleshopsandrentalfleetcompaniesfrombothnewandexistingcyclists.Lawsconcerninge-bikesarecurrentlyoutdatedinmanystatesanddonotaccuratelyreflectthestateofe-biketechnologyorconfirmtoexistingfederallaw.Theselawsareconfusingforconsumers,smallbusinessesandlocalgovernments.Thefederalgovernmenthasdoneitspartinprovidingadefinitionofe-bikesandregulatese-bikesasaconsumerproduct(notamotorvehicle),identicaltoatraditionalbicycle(15U.S.C.§2085).

Updatedstatelegislationwouldmodernizethedefinitionofe-bikeswithinstatevehiclecodessothatcertainlow-speedelectricbicyclesmaybeusedmuchlikeregularbicycles.Thiswillencouragethesafeuseofe-bikesbyprovidingclearruleswithrespecttohowtheymustbeequippedandoperated,andclearenforcementguidelinesforpublicsafetyofficials.

Inordertomodernizee-bikelawsintheU.S.,thebikeindustryhasdevisedathree-classsystemtocategorizeelectricbicyclesandproperlyregulatethembasedontheirmaximumassistedspeed.Thislegislationwouldupdatesectionsofastate’sVehicleandTrafficLawstoexcludelowspeedelectricbicyclesfromthedefinitionofmotorizedvehicles,andregulatee-bikesmoresimilarlytoregularbicycles.Specifically,thesystemwould:

Inthepastsixyears,28states(Arizona,Arkansas,California,Colorado,Connecticut,Florida,Georgia,Idaho,Illinois,Indiana,Louisiana,Maine,Maryland,Michigan,NewHampshire,NewJersey,NewYork,Ohio,Oklahoma,SouthDakota,Tennessee,Texas,Utah,Virginia,Washington,WestVirginia,WisconsinandWyoming)havepassedlawsthatdefinethreeclassesofe-bikesintheirtrafficstatutes.Wesupportthisimportantsteptoclarifylawssurroundingtheoperationofe-bikesandencouragethewidespreaduseofbicyclesthroughoutthecounty.

TheworkofPeopleForBikesonelectricbicyclepolicyissupportedbythecompaniesreferencedbelow.

Thankyou.

Sincerely,

LarryPizziChairmanoftheElectricBicycleCommittee,PeopleForBikesChiefCommericalOfficer,AltaCyclingGroup

JennDiceChiefOperatingOfficer,PeopleForBikesAltaCyclingGroupBafangBoscheBikeSystemsBroseBULLSeBikesCyclingSportsGroupDTSwissEnveloFanticBicyclesUSAFeltBicyclesFoldawaySolutionsFoxRacingShoxGenzeGiantBicyclesGeneralMotorsHarleyDavidsonHi-PowerCyclesKryptoniteOHMElectricBikes

PacificCyclePedegoElectricBicyclesQualityBicycleProductsREIRieseMullerRockyMountainShimanoAmericanCorporationSpecializedBicycleComponentsSportTechnik/M1SRAMCorporationTaiokuTempoBicyclesTernBicyclesTranzXTrekBicycleCorporationYamahaMotorCorporationYubaBicycles