The government’s proposals to double the legal wattage of electric bike motors to 500W and allow ‘twist and go’ e-bikes to have throttle assistance up to 15.5mph present a “huge safety risk” to pedestrians and others who cycle, charity Cycling UK has said.
The Department for Transport (DfT) announced the proposed changes yesterday, with the rationale that they will make electrically assisted pedal cycles (EAPCs), “a more attractive and viable travel option for more people,” with benefits including making it easier for people to ride up hills.
Reacting to the news on X (formerly Twitter), London e-cargo bike courier, Pedal Me, said cargo bikes are, "a potentially transformational technology", and "much safer, more efficient, cleaner to share a city with," but that currently, "they are hindered by a lack of power. Especially in hilly areas."
But Cycling UK’s director of external affairs, Sarah McMonagle, said the increased power, "would mean faster acceleration and much heavier bikes, which we’re really concerned about.”
The Bicycle Association (BA) also suggested that higher powered vehicles would accelerate more quickly and would require bigger batteries, making them heavier and more dangerous in crashes.
The trade body said that while the idea of more power and throttles may seem superficially attractive, “we believe it cannot be introduced without putting at risk the electric cycle’s category status as ‘not a motor vehicle'."
Also commenting on the news, charity Electrical Safety First (ESF) said substandard e-bike batteries are already causing "devastating" fires across the country, and that it was “concerning” that the government is consulting on permitting an increase in power, “without first addressing the critical safety concerns we have raised”.
The government’s consultation says, “there may be a risk of more severe battery fires from more powerful e-cycles and this could be exacerbated by tampering”, and this will be considered as part of cross-government work into the safety of lithium-ion batteries used by e-bikes.
An ESF spokesperson said: “We believe the priority should be to ensure the current batteries and accessories for these devices are safe.
"At present, a fully charged e-bike battery can release a similar amount of stored energy to six hand grenades if the device fails. We need tighter regulation to ensure e-bikes and their batteries are safe before they come onto the market.
“We will of course review the proposals within the consultation issued today and provide a response, but we urge the government to prioritise adopting our forthcoming Bill in Parliament to introduce third party certification for e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries, to prevent further loss of life.”
McMonagle also said that e-bikes with no pedal requirement would reduce the health benefits of e-cycling – "in essence, they would blur the line between e-bikes and electric motorbikes.
"The government has stated that the proposed changes would make e-cycles more attractive, yet the most commonly cited reason for people not cycling is that they don’t feel safe. E-cycles are also prohibitively expensive for many people.
“We fully agree with the government’s goal to get more people to enjoy the benefits of e-cycles, but believe the way to do that effectively is to invest in high quality infrastructure and provide financial assistance for those who need it.”
Pedal Me also harbours reservations about throttle-controlled e-bikes, saying, "clearly there should be exceptions for those with disability, but we foresee widespread abuse from 'twist and go' arrangements."
The consultation began yesterday, February 29, and will run until 11:59pm on April 25.
