I read a few discussions on wether an ebike is a bike or a moped/motorcycle. And this discussion seems a bit strange to me, because some are and some aren't, et least in my part of the world.
In several european countries, the pedelec ebikes are categorised as regular bikes, both on and off road. So a pedelec emtb is a bike that can be used off road. All other ebikes are regarded as motorized vehichles and will need a license plate to be used legally, at least in some countries, others are following. The pedelec is about the same as the Class 1 ebike. I don't know much about US regulation, but it seems the Class 1 ebike is beeing defined as a regular bike several places.
The idea behind creating the Pedelec ebike class was to make ebikes that would work much the same as regular bikes. They were intended to be used in bike lanes and other places where bikes are allowed. The low speed and low power would make sure it would impact the environment much the same as a regular bike. Judging from my own experience and the leak from the IMBA ebike report, the class1/pedelec isn't a beast that can shred the trails and it don't have higher top speed than a regular bike.
I'm excited about the pedelec/class1 because it's a sensible creation. It's not a way for "speedfreaks" to shred trails, but it can help people with health issues or disabilities to get out and enjoy nature. I hope to read about pedelec/class1 ebikes here, the endless-sphere forum seems to be mostly about electric mopeds/motorcycles.
In several european countries, the pedelec ebikes are categorised as regular bikes, both on and off road. So a pedelec emtb is a bike that can be used off road. All other ebikes are regarded as motorized vehichles and will need a license plate to be used legally, at least in some countries, others are following. The pedelec is about the same as the Class 1 ebike. I don't know much about US regulation, but it seems the Class 1 ebike is beeing defined as a regular bike several places.
The idea behind creating the Pedelec ebike class was to make ebikes that would work much the same as regular bikes. They were intended to be used in bike lanes and other places where bikes are allowed. The low speed and low power would make sure it would impact the environment much the same as a regular bike. Judging from my own experience and the leak from the IMBA ebike report, the class1/pedelec isn't a beast that can shred the trails and it don't have higher top speed than a regular bike.
I'm excited about the pedelec/class1 because it's a sensible creation. It's not a way for "speedfreaks" to shred trails, but it can help people with health issues or disabilities to get out and enjoy nature. I hope to read about pedelec/class1 ebikes here, the endless-sphere forum seems to be mostly about electric mopeds/motorcycles.