This may be a first prosecution of an illegal ebike.

[hemo]

This may be a first in the UK, an actual prosecution of the illegal use of an unlicenced ebike.
We here of fines and possible 6 points on a licenece, it is now reality.

https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/2131 ... t-licence/

[fivebikes]

Interesting….
Plenty of similar illegals round here, riding in a way that draws attention too.
One of the comments mentions food delivery riders. I’ve seen a fair few on e-mopeds without plates, helmet etc.
The police have plenty on so most road misdemeanours, of any kind, go unchallenged. I guess if a serious accident occurred with an ebike, whether legal or not, the hanging and flogging brigade would be baying for enforcement…..as they do regularly for conventional bikes too.
Speeding in a car, or dodgy parking, or emission zones are dismissed as kill joy income generation, hitting the motorist where it hurts.
Such is life….

[Bonzo Banana]

Looking at that news report it say maximum 250W output and that is what is on the government site too but 99% of ebikes on the road are more than that. The law is actually rated or nominal power of 250W. I just think the ebike laws are very confusing. You can get a ebike with 750W rated motor that averages only 200-250W an hour and you can get 250W rated ebikes that average maybe 400W or more per hour.

Controllers can normally have a maximum current set they cannot exceed, you could say 250W nominal and 500W peak. It doesn't really matter what the motor is if a hub motor as it can only work with what current its given. It could be a hub motor capable of taking 750W but if the controller only gives it 250W then I don't see the issue.

I just hope the prosecution is a fair one.

[hemo]

The so called bike in question had no pedals so was a moped, despite the bikes small size it had a 350w motor and throttle only. So the prosecution was fair and inline with pedelec/eapc law.

[bikes4two]

Regarding the power out thing and a note for interest - the word continuous is often missed out when stating the power output, something that that newspaper article are guilty of, as are Ccling UK and many other web sites.

[stodd]

Regarding the power out thing and a note for interest - the word continuous is often missed out when stating the power output, something that that newspaper article are guilty of, as are Ccling UK and many other web sites.

The word 'rated' is also important, and makes a bit of a nonsense of the whole thing as there is no indication of how manufacturers should complete the rating.

The so called bike in question had no pedals so was a moped, despite the bikes small size it had a 350w motor and throttle only. So the prosecution was fair and inline with pedelec/eapc law.

Where did you see that information? The site quoted in the original post only said that it was illegal, but didn't give any information about motor power or maximum assisted speed, or even the give-away lack of pedals.

[hemo]

The bike in question I believe was the moovway e-balance bike.

[Dingdong]

He sounds like an egit, but it only takes a few ridiculous cases like this to sway public opinion.

[simonineaston]

In my regular wanderings across my city, I'm noticing an increase in the numbers of young lads using e-scooters and e-bikes, often wearing dark sports clothes, accessorised with a black balaclava. Not a look that promotes confidence in the passer-by...

[mattheus]

Regarding the power out thing and a note for interest - the word continuous is often missed out when stating the power output, something that that newspaper article are guilty of, as are Ccling UK and many other web sites.

How continuous does it need to be? Is 5 seconds enough?

5 is enough to get into trouble ... but I think most people would expect a "500W motor" to manage at least a few minutes at that power, or feel short-changed.

But I really have no idea, so feel free to educate me!

[stodd]

How continuous does it need to be? Is 5 seconds enough?

5 is enough to get into trouble ... but I think most people would expect a "500W motor" to manage at least a few minutes at that power, or feel short-changed.

But I really have no idea, so feel free to educate me!

Continuous means continuous, 24x7.
Of course it will stop when the battery runs out, and will eventually need new bearings, and even later fail completely.

The main issue is that quoted ratings are often too low (eg a motor that could run at 350w indefinitely marked as 250w). The same motor may be sold as 250w in UK/EU and 350w in US. It makes a bit of a nonsense of the law based on 'rated continuous power'.

[thirdcrank]

Perhaps the main issue is that in E&W, a prosecution is conducted on evidence based on the specific regulation alleged to have been contravened. Regulations generally have their own definitions or references to where they may be found. It seems that the defendant didn't contest the case (proved in their absence?) so these proceedings don't create a precedent. To do that would require a decision in the higher courts.

[bikes4two]

But I really have no idea, so feel free to educate me!

Ooh, now there's a challenge but seeing as I failed my 11+ you'd best read BSEN15194 for the answer - feely available on the internet as PDF - if you manage to wade throuh its many pages, you might come to the conclusion that I did, that many aspects of the EPAC law need updating to avoid ambiguity and beibg held in ridicule.

[Cugel]

The main issue is that quoted ratings are often too low (eg a motor that could run at 350w indefinitely marked as 250w). The same motor may be sold as 250w in UK/EU and 350w in US. It makes a bit of a nonsense of the law based on 'rated continuous power'.

That's an interesting point. As you say, many of the motors in bikes sold here with the 25kph limit and a "continuous power" rating of 250W are sold elsewhere with exactly the same motor & battery but are rated at, say, 350W or 500W and allowed to operate up to 20mph or even 30mph. (I'm using the USA as the alternative-limits example).

The limits, in both cases, seem to be imposed by software/firmware controlling the motor - although the motors involved will presumably have an actual (intrinsic) continuous power defined by something like the power they can run at continuously without exceeding a certain temperature or other condition that may rapidly degrade them.

So, to what does the law refer? Is it to the motor's intrinsic continuous power rating or to the firmware's control of the motor's continuous power? I'm presuming the latter otherwise huge numbers of e-bike in Europe are illegal.

Cugel

[hemo]

At the end of the day the rating is what ever the manufacturer puts on the motor and as Cugel says for sure 250w or 350w labelling is the same motor, not sure about 500w but wouldn't surprise me the motor being the same if the voltage is the same. A 350w labelled one being the same as 250w laballed one, the only difference making it illegal is the labelling.