Are you aware of how the law was set in relation to electric bikes in Australia? Rumour has it that an elite cyclist advised this limit after riding one and considering it potentially dangerous! We'd like to see them limit CARS to 200watts!
Until earlier this year, it was legal to ride a petrol-motor bike up to 1 horsepower (746watts), along with its awful noise and GHG emissions. Americans can legally ride electric bikes up to this limit too, lucky them!
Yet the electric bike lobby in Australia still haven't got anywhere with trying to raise the limit, at least to the EU standard 250w.. Despite our governments' apparent commitment to a reduction in Greenhouse Gases.
This severely limits the options for e-bikers here in Oz, as many bikes and motors are made to suit the EU specs. Many of the bikes sold are actually likely to be slightly over the legal limit, as it's very hard to be exact with their output, factoring in efficiency losses and such things.
And given its pretty difficult for the authorities to test the output of electric bikes, what's stopping us from 'interpreting' the law as we see fit?
What are your thoughts?
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ReplyDeleteAt the rate its progressing at the moment we will be lucky if the human race is still alive when a decision is finally reached - if ever.
ReplyDeleteDon't expect anything sensible to come out of the RTA or the Government. Any new legislation will be framed with the priority of keeping tax and license revenue rolling in, and supporting big business - and you can guarantee that the needs of ordinary people and what might best suit them will be completely ignored.
If you have read the RTA's submission you will note that it makes very little sense and contains several glaring omissions and technical errors. Overall it looks to have been written by a toddler (how the hell do these people get their jobs - bribery?).
My advice to all would be electric cyclists is to stick with their cars.
I have just returned from Taipei cycle show where I saw one e-bike below 250watts. Australia is a small market by world standards and the manufacturers are not keen to modify their products, we do need to adopt the European standard
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such important details. Will have to remember such law while riding.
ReplyDeleteAseako Electric Bike Review