They are a massive phenomenon in Europe and are becoming more and more common. They are legally classified in various ways, depending on engine power, maximum speed, and whether they can move independently on electric power or must be pedaled while the electric motor only provides assistance.
In Europe, they are a massive phenomenon and are becoming more and more common. They are legally classified in various ways, depending on engine power, maximum speed and whether they can move independently on electric power or have to be pedaled while the electric motor only provides assistance.
More on this in the text below, and now let's look at the situation in our country.
An electric bicycle does not have to be registered, but only if it meets certain conditions
A bicycle with an electric drive is not considered a motor vehicle, and therefore does not have to be registered only if:
a) it has pedals and can be moved by pedaling
b) it has an electric motor that is not stronger than 250 W, or 0.25 kW
c) it has a maximum design speed of less than 25 km/h
Simple, right? Of course not...
Since there will be more and more of them on the streets in Serbia, at some point stricter controls and inspections will begin. Namely, an electric bicycle can very easily be modified to be lightning fast. As a result, they will become more visible in traffic, accidents will occur, they will "fly" along bike paths, pedestrian paths...
And here the problem arises - how to check an electric bicycle? How to determine the engine power and maximum speed? How are those made from ordinary bicycles according to the "do it yourself" principle legally viewed and are they even allowed?
We do not know, the law does not say anything specific, and we have not yet received an answer from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the question of whether there are any other regulations related to this category of vehicles, apart from restrictions on the power of the electric motor and maximum speed.
What does the law say?
In the “Regulations on the classification of motor vehicles and trailers and technical requirements for vehicles in road traffic”, electric bicycles are defined as follows:
Article 15, Paragraph 3: Type K3 - is a pedal-powered vehicle with an additional electric motor whose maximum power does not exceed 0.25 kW and maximum design speed is less than 25 km/h, and which is not declared as a vehicle of type L1.
Electric bicycles in the “shape” of a scooter?
Yes, there are such electric bicycles. They are literally in the shape of a scooter - they look like a classic scooter, but:
a) they have pedals
b) a 250 W electric motor
c) a maximum speed of 25 km/h
What problems could arise in the future?
The same as what happened with cars, mopeds, trailers, tractors... At some point, the regulations change and then you have to bring certificates, invoices, certificates...
We are not saying that you should not buy an electric bicycle if you want to. We are just warning you that you should be prepared for possible complications and that you must keep all the documentation you receive when buying.
For example, there may be a classification taken over from some of the countries in which an electric bicycle that can go only with the help of an electric motor, without the need for the cyclist to turn the pedals, has one set of rules (registration, helmet...), and an electric bicycle in which the electric motor only helps when the rider turns the pedals ("pedelec") has another set of rules, i.e. the same as for a classic bicycle.
"Pedelec" - there is no separate throttle control for it. When you want to move off, you start turning the pedals, with the electric motor automatically coming to the rescue and only up to a speed of 25 km/h. Above that speed, it switches off. There is also a power limit of 250 W (0.25 kW) for electric motors.
There are also more powerful “pedelecs” without a speed limit, but they cannot be classified as ordinary bicycles, and in many countries they are not allowed to be ridden on cycle paths.
A particular problem with electric bicycles (and mopeds) can be the declared power of the electric motor. The situation here is significantly different from that of conventional internal combustion engines.
The (maximum) nominal power is stated - this is the power that the motor can constantly develop without overheating or being damaged. So, an electric motor can develop more than the power stated in the specification. The whole story is quite complicated, so we will not even try to go into details.
So how do I know how “strong” an electric bike actually is?
Generally, you will not know how fast it is until you ride it. That's why we recommend a test ride, not only for starting ability or speed, but also to check the quality of the entire bike, paying particular attention to the brakes.
