EPAC motor approval.

Electrically assisted bikes, trikes, etc. that are legal in the UK
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K Clements
Posts: 1
Joined: 27 Jul 2021, 5:47pm

EPAC motor approval.

Post by K Clements »

What are member’s opinions of this?

The regulation for approving electric vehicle motors is:

Regulation No 85 of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UN/ECE) —
Uniform provisions concerning the approval of internal combustion engines or electric drive trains intended for the propulsion of motor vehicles of categories M and N with regard to the measurement of net power and the maximum 30 minutes power of electric drive trains.

It also deals with internal combustion engines and hybrid vehicles.

Section 1.3 states: The electric drive trains are composed of controllers and motors and are used for propulsion of vehicles as the sole mode of propulsion.

Now as this states 'the sole mode of propulsion', does this mean that pedal assisted e-bikes, i.e. capable of manual propulsion mode, are not covered by this testing and therefore there is no valid test for pedal assisted e-bike motor power?
Nowhere in this regulation is there any mention of pedals or pedal assisted motors/vehicles.

This regulation is being used to judge the legality of a given pedal assisted bike, which judgment is open to doubt. Mind you, I wouldn’t want to be a test case.
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gaz
Posts: 14640
Joined: 9 Mar 2007, 12:09pm
Location: Kent

Re: EPAC motor approval.

Post by gaz »

Welcome to the forum.
K Clements wrote: 27 Jul 2021, 5:55pm... intended for the propulsion of motor vehicles of categories M and N ...
I'd expect the definition of those categories is pertinent.

A bit of google-fu finds: https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/aut ... egories_en
Vehicles that belong to category M or N are classified as:

light-duty vehicles (passenger cars and vans), or
heavy-duty vehicles (trucks, buses, and coaches)
High on a cocktail of flossy teacakes and marmalade
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