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E-bikes could be treated as bicycles on-road but ‘motor vehicles’ off-road under Norwegian motor traffic proposals

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Alex Bowden's picture

Alex Bowden

Alex has been editor of ebiketips since 2021, switching to a world with motors after seven years working on sister site road.cc, where he contributed news, reviews and the occasional feature. These days he combines his road riding with electric bike testing and a dash of ongoing cricket writing (his first book's due out in 2025).

2 comments

4 months 1 week ago

The article doesn't quite enlighten on the dual problem of e-bikes in Norway. 
 

They are being used very agressively in the forests on mixed used trails, where they rip up terrain but also pose a menace to walkers and hikers. Here we are talking the problem of electric fat bikes which are basically electric motorcycles in size and speed. And Norwegians do take their forest hiking seriously, it's nearly a national religion there. On Sundays and holidays shows are closed and people get out into nature for relaxation. 
 

So that's one reason to regulate these as motor vehicles and preserve peace in the forests. 
 

The other hidden bit is that the REAL fear of the companies selling e-bikes(and e-scooters)  is that once regulated as motor vehicles in the forests, e-bikes will shortly then be regulated the same in the urban areas. Because in Norway bikes can be ridden on sidewalks and so these e-bikes and electric scooters fall into a loophole. If that loophole is closed it would reduce the sale and use of these things in sidewalks, which becoming in the big cities expressways and degrading quality of life for pedestrians . 

4 months 3 weeks ago

It sounds as if they need some tweaks to their Right to Roam equivalent laws.