Ideally, the law would set that speed limit to ~20mph since that is what a person pedaling can readily achieve.
Ideally, the law would set that speed limit to ~20mph since that is what a person pedaling can readily achieve.
The entire thing is pretty much exactly as the title is asking, though perhaps a little less glorious than "revolutionizing", and more just talking about the practical concerns of more people using e-bikes and how governments are responding.
To weigh in, I think it's a cool initiative with a lot of questions to consider, since I'd largely agree that an electric vehicle is probably a hazard to those with non-electric transportation. Though, at least in the US, I can't imagine normal traffic responding well to the inclusion of e-bikes, even if it would solve transportation needs for a lot of people. I am curious how the insurance looks for it as many years back (8ish maybe?) I looked into getting an e-bike but the insurance increase was prohibitively much.
Except he's not replacing a car in the car lane. He's replacing a bike in the bike lane. I maintain my title-article mismatch opinion.
Federal law already does that (in the USA, at least). E-Bikes sold in the US can't go faster than 20mph.
You're also right in that e-bikes aren't going to revolutionize commuting anywhere but in crowded cities. It does solve the last mile problem, though. Trains can get you from the country to the city and the ebike can get you through the city faster than anything other than a motorcycle.
They're also fun as hell to ride. :)
My cycle to work this morning had a top speed of 40kmph (24mph). I was feeling particularly slow this morning and am only just getting back into cycling. I expect that soon I'll be quite a bit faster.
But you highlight the issue nicely; bikes are not self-powered, it depends on the human. Even with e-bikes this is true, most of them will only support the rider and have been made not to power the bike all by itself. So how to regulate that? Perhaps a good old speed limit is all that is really needed.
If you want to bike at over 40 km/h then more power to you, but perhaps bike lanes with other, often slower, bikers, aren't the place to it.