Low Speed E-bikes Benefit Everyone
They are affordable, low-impact devices used by commuters, seniors, families, delivery workers, and people who simply can’t or choose not to drive a car. Treating them like motorcycles is bad policy, likely illegal under federal law, and will fall hardest on the communities that can least afford it.
Here are the basic changes we’d like to see in the e-bike law:
- Low-speed electric bicycles that max out at 20 mph should not be subject to license, registration, or insurance requirements.
- Devices that exceed 20 mph should continue to have safety-focused regulations such as licensing, registration, and helmet use, as well as regulations for selling and advertising.
Our Opposition to the E-bike Law
As written, this law will:
- Harm vulnerable residents including seniors, people with disabilities, undocumented riders, families and low-income commuters who depend on e-bikes for affordable mobility
- Conflict with federal law (15 USC 2085), which defines low-speed e-bikes as consumer products, not motor vehicles
- Create immediate confusion for riders crossing into New Jersey from New York or Philadelphia
- Undermine New Jersey’s climate goals by discouraging one of the most accessible low-emission transportation options available
- Leaves gaps in addressing point-of-sale regulation for e-motos and education for safe cycling
