If "those darn kids" trumps encouraging ebikes as a climate solution in California of all places, we are truly in deep trouble - ThreadSky

niedermeyer.online • 56 days ago

If "those darn kids" trumps encouraging ebikes as a climate solution in California of all places, we are truly in deep trouble

Reposted from E-bikes

Welp, bike lobby just killed progress by banning electric motors capable of more than 750W output--even if they still cannot go faster than 20mph. That means no e-bikes for two or more people (not enough power), and no e-bikes for delivery of heavy objects or lots of small ones (not enough power).

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niedermeyer.online•56 days ago

Heavy duty cargo bikes are the most useful car-replacing modality we have, and this completely hamstrings them. All motivated by "safety," but 6k lb electrobarges that do 0-60 in 3 seconds are definitely safe.

We are so cooked.

kevinleecaster.bsky.social•56 days ago

Are there many other industries and/or vehicles that you feel should not be regulated?

I sure think that they've handled some sticky situations with constituencies on both sides of each bill pretty well in the California legislature around ebikes last year.

ccollins.org•56 days ago

Do it for the children "said every disingenuous negotiator to red herring their way to wealth"

artisanloaf.bsky.social•56 days ago

I looked at getting an ebike here in the UK, and it's just not worth it. Slow, expensive, poor range.

artisanloaf.bsky.social•56 days ago

niedermeyer.online•56 days ago

bikes make me want to go full american: I want them big and fast and unregulated

niedermeyer.online•56 days ago

er, ebikes

antonyingram.bsky.social•56 days ago

I've moaned before how 15mph top speed makes them useless for anything but city-centre stuff, and not ideal even then. If the government wants people to get onto these things the best thing they could do is let them do 20-25 assisted, so you could at least consider longer distances/faster roads.

olabertsu.bsky.social•56 days ago

Aren't you able to register faster or more powerful bikes as mopeds or motorbikes?

artisanloaf.bsky.social•56 days ago

you can, but then that requires licensing, registration, insurance, MOTs.

olabertsu.bsky.social•56 days ago

Ok. How's driving then? You probably aren't allowed where normal bikes are?

phate.bsky.social•56 days ago

It’s funny that people agree that it’s logical to have a different license or set of requirements for a 45lb bike that goes 20mph vs a 60lb bike that goes 35mph, but a 2800lb car that does 0-60 in 8 seconds should have the same license as a 6800lb truck that does 0-60 in 2.6 seconds.

kerstanley.bsky.social•56 days ago

My electric cargo bike can haul three children plus an adult and it has a 250w motor.

zota.bsky.social•56 days ago

It sounds like you have a more upscale mid-drive motor?

Hub motors are much more common. The most popular e-bike company in America only sells cargo bikes with 750w motors—they all just became illegal motorcycles.

https://www.radpowerbikes.com/collections/electric-cargo-utility-bikes

kerstanley.bsky.social•56 days ago

I’m skeptical that’s broadly true since the e-bike industry association reviewed and approved of this bill’s language.

zota.bsky.social•56 days ago

Language was recently revised, so I guess we'll see. But according to the law as now written, every cargo bike with a hub motor that is capable of being briefly over-powered is now an illegal moped.

kerstanley.bsky.social•56 days ago

All heavy duty cargo bikes that I know of have a Bosch motor, which is 250w.

soren-lorenson.bsky.social•56 days ago

What? My regular Trek ebike (Bosch) is 500w. My Radwagon is 750.

kerstanley.bsky.social•56 days ago

Are you sure you're not thinking of the peak power? Even Bosch's most powerful motor, the Performance Line CX (Gen 4) is a 250w motor but it peaks at about 600w. But yes, most hub motors like Rad are 750w.

gspeng.bsky.social•56 days ago

Large electric cargo bikes can still be made, but don't qualify as ebikes. They can still be neighborhood electric vehicles, which requires licensing

geekygearhead99.bsky.social•56 days ago

Is there any weird restriction keeping them from being mopeds? Most everywhere I’ve been, if something has less than 50cc or a speed under I think 30 or 35mph, you don’t need a tag or license to operate

zota.bsky.social•56 days ago

Mopeds in CA need a motorcycle license and registration.

geekygearhead99.bsky.social•56 days ago

Well shit

toasty.cx•56 days ago

We truly have some immensely boneheaded people in this goddamn country

priyachand.bsky.social•56 days ago

CA has a pretty bad NIMBY streak, huh 😬

husseman.bsky.social•56 days ago

This is completely fucked and of course other states will follow suit

(DISCLAIMER: I hold a tiny investment in a Portland-based ebike company)

captainsidecar.bsky.social•56 days ago

I'm not sure that "I want a moped/motorcycle but do not want to be subject to the legal requirements of a moped/motorcycle" is likely to be a winning argument.

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