Amazon Stops Selling Fast E-Bikes To Californians
Gizmodo • • business
Key Points:
- Amazon will stop selling e-bikes in California that exceed the state's top speed limits for electric bicycles, following pressure from the California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
- California law classifies e-bikes into three classes with speed limits: Class 1 and 2 e-bikes cannot exceed 20 mph, while Class 3 e-bikes have a top speed of 28 mph; faster models are considered mopeds or motorcycles requiring licensing and registration.
- The Attorney General highlighted safety concerns due to a rise in incidents involving fast e-bikes, especially among teens, emphasizing the need to comply with classification and speed limits.
- Despite Amazon's announcement, some faster e-bike models exceeding the 28 mph limit were still available for purchase as of the report date, indicating ongoing enforcement challenges.
- The regulation of e-bike speeds is part of broader, sometimes controversial, efforts across states like New Jersey to ensure safety while balancing environmental and transportation goals.