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Date: 10-2003 Source: States Man Journal
Date: 09-09-2003 Source: DesMoinesRegister.com
Date: 10/2003 Source: Taipei Times, Suggested to X-Treme Scooters by Garrett Watkins, Central Valley Scooters, Fresno CA
Date: 04/2003 Source: By Vir Singh, Web only news
Date: 07/2003 Source: Spirit Enterprise
Date: 11/2003 Source: ZAP
Date: 01/2003 Source: EV MarketPlace News
Date: 11/20/2003 Source: Unknown
Date: 11/20/2003 Source: Chuck Baughman, Electric Scooters Plus
Date: 11/20/2003 Source: Chuck Baughman, Electric Scooters Plus
Date: 11/20/2003 Source: Chuck Baughman, Electric Scooters Plus
Scooter riders, much like bicyclists, are required to follow motor vehicle laws.
They also are governed by relatively new motor vehicle laws, and not many scooter owners are familiar with the legal way to operate them, Salem police Officer Tony Moore said.
The devices - think Razor-type scooters with an electric or gas motor attached - are increasingly popular, Salem shop owners said.
Spring is on its way, and Salem police think that with it will come hordes of scooters zipping through the city streets.
"They were just specialty items, and now they're becoming more commonplace," Moore said. "We expect to see them on roadways, and we want to increase traffic safety."
People must be older than 15 to operate a scooter, Moore said, and they cannot operate them at more than 15 mph.
Riders of all ages are required to wear helmets and use hand signals like those of a bicycle, he said.
The scooters can be operated on a street with a posted speed of less than 25 mph, but riders must keep to the far right-hand side of the road, he said. In a one-way street, riders also can keep to the far left hand side.
On faster streets, scooters must stay in a designated bicycle lane, Moore said.
The scooters cannot be operated on a sidewalk unless they are operated at walking speeds and riders have an audible signal such as a bell or horn to warn pedestrians.
Scooter drivers are not required to have a driver's license, Moore said, and don't have to carry liability insurance.
The scooters sold by Jeff Johnson, owner of Batteries Northwest, will go 7 to 12 miles on a charge, with speeds anywhere from 6 to 9 mph.
Johnson said that he urges customers to be safe.
"We provide them with a little information packet that talks with them about safety," he said.
Kids zipping around neighborhoods on popular gas- and electric-powered scooters are quickly learning that they may be breaking the law with their joy rides.
The scooters - which look like long skateboards with handlebars, a motor, and sometimes a seat - can be purchased at local businesses, including Target and Sportmart.
But, the machines cannot be legally operated on city streets, sidewalks or bike paths, according to city of Urbandale and state laws. That is disappointing news to Urbandale children and their parents, who have shelled out from $200 to $500 on the assumption that if the scooters are legal to sell, they must be legal to ride.
Urbandale police have not begun to issue citations and hope to educate residents about the scooters so they don't have to write tickets.
"We"re trying to get the word out, counsel people (about the law), and use a lot of discretion during the time everyone gets educated about it," said Sgt. Dave Disney of the Urbandale Police Department.
The Iowa Department of Transportation's Web site said that most scooters "do not meet the requirements under state law for vehicle registration and licensing."
Under Iowa law, motorized vehicles must be able to maintain a minimum speed of 20 miles per hour up a 3 percent grade and be equipped with standard headlights and taillights in order to legally operate on streets. Motorized vehicles are also prohibited on most bike and walking trails.
Urbandale Target Manager Steve Howell said he was unaware that the scooters sold at Target were illegal to ride on streets and sidewalks and hadn"t received any complaints from parents. "To my knowledge we haven"t had any returns yet," he said.
Soon, Target stores will display signs warning shoppers that scooters do not belong on the streets. The signs will read, "This electric scooter does not conform to federal vehicle safety standards and is not intended for operation on streets, roads or highways."
Aimee Sands, a Target headquarters spokeswoman, said signs will be posted in stores by the end of September in the aisles where scooters are displayed. "The signs will also direct guests to check local and state laws regarding motorized vehicles," she said.
Disney said it is a shame that some residents were not informed when they purchased the scooters.
"People weren"t aware of what they were buying," he said. "It"s my understanding that some of the boxes these scooters come in even say that you can ride them on the street."
Urbandale police are trying to get the word out after several residents complained that they were nearly struck by speeding scooters while walking on city sidewalks or bike paths.
Officers are warning youths that the scooters are unsafe and riding them anywhere other than in a driveway or other private property can mean a ticket. In Urbandale, even for a child, that could include a fine of up to $100 plus court fees for violating a city ordinance.
"We aren"t looking to write kids tickets," Disney said, "We felt we needed to respond to a public safety issue. We"ve tried to be very reasonable with this."
Local companies developing hybrid scooters, solar cells and alternative energy technologies are benefiting from government incentives
By Bill Heaney
STAFF REPORTER , IN TAINAN
Saturday, Oct 25, 2003,Page 10
Within the next couple years smart-control technology could make downtown cities cleaner as hybrid scooters switch from polluting petrol to electric power in crowded central districts if a Tainan-based green energy developer has its way.
With a NT$30 million grant from the government, Ji Ee Industry Co (????) is developing a combined gasoline combustion engine and an electric motor, officials from the company said yesterday.
"The hybrid scooters will use a pure electric motor downtown to reduce emissions, and then when they go to the suburbs they can transform to gasoline," Jie Ee deputy vice president Charles Chiu (???) told a group of visiting overseas journalists yesterday at a press conference.
A built-in computer system will sense when the scooter's speed drops below 25kph and automatically switch over to electric power, Chiu said.
This country has one of the highest concentrations of scooters in the world with over 10 million on the roads here in a population of 23 million, according to government estimates.
Last year, 600,000 new vehicles were added to the previous year's figures, Chiu said.
To prevent Taiwan's cities from choking under an ever increasing blanket of smog, the government offered hand-outs of NT$4,000 to everyone who bought electrically powered scooters, but canceled the scheme last year when less than 5 percent showed interest.
"Electric scooters don't have the range of gasoline ones," Chiu said.
"Our electric model has a range of 60km before it needs recharging. That means an effective radius of 30km, and most people didn't think that would be enough."
The government's new scheme to cut back on emissions is to funnel the electric scooter hand-out fund into reducing emissions through fuel injected engines.
Chiu worries this won't cut emissions enough in inner cities, which is why he secured government funding for the hybrid engine.
"Electric engines have zero emissions which is essential to reduce pollution in cities," Chiu said.
"In the suburbs the bikes can use the gasoline engine as there is more space. This has the added benefit that the gas engine can recharge the electric motor, eliminating the range problem of a purely electric model," he said.
Ji Ee's sister company, Eton Solar Tech Co (??????) is also trying to cash in on green energy.
The company makes solar cells for use in power-generating panels that appear on roofs, buildings, toys and consumer electronic goods such as calculators.
The government offers up to 50 percent of the cost of installing solar panels and a further 5 percent to 20-percent tax reduction for corporations that choose to go green with solar energy, Eton Solar's spokeswoman Ivette Chien (???) said yesterday.
The worldwide demand for solar energy increased by 32 percent last year from 390.52 megawatts (MW) in 2001 to 512.22MW last year, according to the solar industry's Photovoltaic Magazine.
Eton's solar cells are expected to produce 9MW of energy this year, but the company hopes to increase production to between 20MW and 30MW next year.
The company is also researching new solar technologies that may one day bring us an energy producing film that can be stuck to a window to produce electricity, Eton Group vice president Tsai Chin-yao (???) said yesterday.
India’s Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (New Delhi) announced a subsidy for electric vehicles late last year. The incentive will be given to schools, hospitals, and other designated institutions purchasing the Reva, but not to private buyers. "They've given a subsidy, but they’ve given it to the wrong consumer," says Maini. "The Reva is targeted at private individuals, not public institutions."
Transport and environmental experts generally back the government’s emphasis on public transport, saying converting taxis and buses will have a much greater impact on fighting pollution than introducing electric cars for individuals. Government support programs have especially targeted small public transport vehicles—a major source of urban air pollution in the most congested areas—by trying to get them to switch from fossil fuels to electricity.
Among those offering battery-powered public transport vehicles is Bhopal-based Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), a government-run firm, which launched experimental battery-powered minibuses in the 1980s. Scooters India Ltd. (Lucknow) and another automaker, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. (Pune), have between them put more than 500 battery-powered scooter-rickshaw taxis on the road.
But earlier green transport initiatives have failed because they were not well thought out. In New Delhi, for instance, most taxis and buses have been ordered to switch to natural gas-driven engines over the last two to three years. Initially, though, not enough gas was made available, resulting in huge lines at gas stations and many hours of lost revenue for drivers. The acute problem triggered strikes that frequently paralyzed the city's transport system [see "Delhi Stalls on Conversion of Transit Fleets," Spectrum, January 2002, pp. 22–23: http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/spectrum/jan02/departments/ngas.html].
Engineers developing new electric vehicle technologies, therefore, must think beyond engines. One of the most ambitious electric vehicle projects under way nowadays is trying to find a battery-powered alternative to the ubiquitous scooter rickshaw taxi, which is among the largest sources of pollution in congested urban areas.
Bajaj Auto Ltd. (Pune), one of the world’s largest scooter makers, has been developing an electric-powered version for the last five years or so and expects to roll out the first few demonstration models this summer. The engine for this prototype was designed by New Generation Motors Corp. (Ashburn, Va.) with financial support from the U.S. government.
Vir Singh files news reports from India for the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC, London) and National Public Radio (Washington, D.C.)
 NEW YORK, July 3 — After months of hype — some of it true, some of it false — inventor Dean Kamen has unveiled the Segway, a one-person, gyroscope-packed, electric-powered scooter that proponents say will transform transportation.
KAMEN AND HIS backers have big hopes for the agile Segway, saying the scooter will displace awkward, polluting cars from inner cities, leading to a realigned cityscape that is more people-friendly.
The Segway “will be to the car what the car was to the horse and buggy,” Kamen told Time magazine for Monday’s edition. “Cars are great for going long distances. But it makes no sense at all for people in cities to use a 4,000-pound piece of metal to haul their 150-pound asses around town.”
Kamen holds roughly 100 U.S. patents. His other inventions include the heart stent used by Vice President Dick Cheney and a radical improvement on old wheelchair designs.
Kamen said the battery-powered device requires little electricity. Kamen’s Manchester, N.H.-based firm DEKA Research and Development will oversee production of the machine.
The two-wheeled Segway, which looks like a cross between an old rotary lawn mower and a Razor scooter, travels at a top speed of 17 miles per hour. According to those who have ridden it, the scooter is difficult to fall from or knock over due to gyroscopes that work to keep it upright and discern where the rider wants to go. Speed and direction are controlled by the rider’s shifting weight.
Riders stand upright over the invention’s single axle, navigating with a bicycle-like handlebar. A single battery charge can propel the scooter 17 miles over level ground, with each hour of charge providing power for two hours’ use.
The U.S. Postal Service, General Electric and National Parks Service will be the first customers to purchase them, buying 80-pound heavy-duty models for $8,000 apiece, according to Time magazine.
The Postal Service plans to test 20 Segways on mail routes in Concord, N.H., and Fort Myers, Fla., starting in January, in hopes of enabling carriers to cover more ground, according to a report on The New York Times’ Web site.
The city of Atlanta plans to use several dozen starting in February in an effort to reduce emissions and traffic congestion, the Times said.
A 65-pound $3,000 consumer model won’t be available for at least a year.
Kamen, who said he withheld information on the Segway until he had finished filing related patents, is an accomplished inventor and recipient last year of the National Medal of Technology, awarded by President Clinton. Kamen’s previous inventions include the first portable kidney dialysis machine.
Kamen unveiled the scooter in New York City on ABC’s “Good Morning America”. ABC’s parent company, The Walt Disney Co., has sponsored Kamen’s robot-building competitions for students.
From the time plans for the machine were first revealed on the Web site Inside.com almost a year ago, tantalizing but unsubstantive mentions of the project - code-named “Ginger” or “IT” - kept the device in a controlled state of pent-up hype.
Corporate luminaries who’d gotten sneak previews described the machine’s impact as “as big as the PC” and “bigger than the Internet.”
Time said its article’s author was given license to shadow Kamen for three months, on condition of secrecy. Other publications, including the New York Times, were given advance information on the project in return for pledges to secrecy.
According to legislative reports, the United States Senate has approved H.R. 727 and President Bush has signed it into law. The bill, introduced by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Ocala, Florida), passed the house in 2001. Currently, low-speed electric bikes are regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which subjects these bicycles to the same standards as motor vehicles.
"Low-speed electric bicycles offer consumers the convenience of assisted power," explained Stearns. "These bikes give their riders, often seniors, the disabled, and law enforcement officers, some extra help in pedaling long distances and uphill. These are bicycles and should be regulated as bicycles. Under NHTSA's jurisdiction, electric bikes will be required to have additional equipment such as those on trucks and cars. These requirements would upset the weight and balance of the bicycles, as well as increase their prices."
H.R. 727 will transfer jurisdiction over low-speed electric bikes from NHTSA to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which regulates consumer products such as bicycles. The legislation applies to low-speed electric bikes with less than one-horse power and a maximum of 20 miles per hour.
"This new law represents a tangible step forward for clean transportation technologies," said ZAP spokesperson Alex Campbell. "An actual human-electric hybrid vehicle, the electric bicycle is one of the most energy efficient forms of transportation available today, achieving the equivalent of 1000 miles per gallon in terms of fueling costs. We are pleased that governments around the world are starting address these forms of transportation."
Campbell added that ZAP help pioneer the electric bike market back in 1994 and in addition to being a sponsor of HR 727 also helped pass legislation for electric bikes and scooters in California.
WASHINGTON, DC, January 28, 2003 (ENS) - President George W. Bush used his State of the Union Address tonight to propose $1.2 billion in research funding to develop hydrogen fuel technologies. With those funds, "America can lead the world in developing clean, hydrogen powered automobiles," he said. The President's first State of the Union speech to mention the environment focused on his goal of promoting energy independence for the country, while "dramatically improving" the environment.
President Bush addressed a joint session of Congress tonight, detailing the situation in which the United States finds itself today and what should be done to improve things. The President devoted most of his State of the Union Address to explaining why the United States is gearing up for war in Iraq.
"Today, the gravest danger in the war on terror, the gravest danger facing America and the world, is outlaw regimes that seek and possess nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons," warned President Bush. His budget contains almost $6 billion to quickly make available effective vaccines and treatments against agents like anthrax, botulinum toxin, Ebola, and plague. "We must assume that our enemies would use these diseases as weapons, and we must act before the dangers are upon us," he said.
President George W. Bush delivers his address. Applauding are Vice President Dick Cheney (left) and Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert. (Photo courtesy The White House)
His first goal is the economy. "We must have an economy that grows fast enough to employ every man and woman who seeks a job," he said.
"I am proposing that all the income tax reductions set for 2004 and 2006 be made permanent and effective this year," he said. The President's second goal is high quality, affordable health care for all Americans, and he pledged an additional $400 billion in his 2003 budget to be spent over the next decade to reform and strengthen Medicare.
President Bush said his administration's third goal, energy independence, could mean that the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution free. The President said in his address that in this century, "the greatest environmental progress will come about not through endless lawsuits or command-and-control regulations, but through technology and innovation."
His 1.2 billion hydrogen fuel cell research plan is intended to make the United States a world leader in this technology. "A single chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen generates energy, which can be used to power a car - producing only water, not exhaust fumes," the President told the legislators and their guests. "With a new national commitment, our scientists and engineers will overcome obstacles to taking these cars from laboratory to showroom."
"I have sent you a comprehensive energy plan to promote energy efficiency and conservation, to develop cleaner technology, and to produce more energy at home," the President told the assembled legislators. "I have sent you Clear Skies legislation that mandates a 70 percent cut in air pollution from power plants over the next 15 years."
President Bush stressed his Healthy Forests Initiative, which allows expanded logging in national forests is good for the environment. This logging will help to "prevent the catastrophic fires that devastate communities, kill wildlife, and burn away millions of acres of treasured forest."
The Democratic response to the State of the Union Address was delivered by Washington Governor Gary Locke. He called environmental protection a tremendous bipartisan success story over three decades because air and water are cleaner. But these gains are being eroded by the Bush administration Governor Locke warned. "In communities in my state and yours, conservation is a way of life," he said. "But the administration is determined to roll back much of this progress. Our nation should lead global efforts to promote environmental responsibility - not shun them. And instead of opening up the Alaskan wilderness to oil drilling, we should be committed to a national policy to reduce our dependence on oil by promoting American technology and sustainability."
Concern marked the response of William Meadows, president of The Wilderness Society. "We applaud his proposed investment in clean hydrogen fuel cell cars, energy conservation and efficiency, said Meadows, "and we look forward to the long term results of these propositions. Unfortunately, the president's statements about energy and forests did nothing to allay our deep concerns about the Administration's environmental agenda."
The National Environmental Trust greeted the President's announcements with suspicion. "This is the first time President Bush has mentioned the environment in a State of the Union, and the reason is simple," said Philip Clapp, president of the National Environmental Trust, his poll numbers with the swing voters he needs in 2004 - women, independents and suburban voters - are dropping. This was window-dressing pure and simple. After two years of rolling back environmental protections, he has discovered there's a cost.
"President Bush's environmental promises always come with a Buyer Beware sign," said Clapp.
Clapp called the President's hydrogen development plan too small to make much headway. "President Bush ridiculed Al Gore's proposal that we replace the internal combustion engine with new technologies. Tonight he proposed a modest plan that won't make much difference to promote the very technologies he made fun of two years ago."
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Retail buyers of Battery-Electric Vehicles (BEVs) (including scooters) can claim a tax credit of 10% of Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price regardless of the actual price paid on auctions / discounts / specials. If you paid $300 (including s/h) for a new X-treme Electric Scooter X-360 with a Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $399, you are entitled to a federal tax credit of $40. (H.R.4 Sec. 2002)
Tax Incentive Provisions - Battery- Electric Vehicles (BEVs)
http://www.nationalcleancities.org/GovtRelat/taxprovisionsHR4.PDF (page 1)
Energy Policy Act of 2002 (H.R. 4 approved 04/25/02)
=>Battery- Electric Vehicles (BEVs) (Sec. 2002 expires December 31, 2006)
10% of MSRP up to $1,500 for low-speed BEVs.
http://www.nationalcleancities.org/GovtRelat/HR4sidexside.PDF (page 12)
SENATE - CLEAR ACT (S. 760 as of 08/28/01)
10% tax credit up to $4,000 for lowspeed BEVs through 2007
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Electric vehicles (EVs) are cars that run on electricity stored in batteries. EVs are often confused with hybrid electric vehicles which combine an internal combustion engine with a battery. EVs are the only truly zero emission car available today because they have no tailpipe exhaust and no evaporative emissions from fuel systems. Manufacturers have developed a broad spectrum of EVs - from neighborhood electric cars which can be used for short trips around town to full function electric cars which can be used for longer trips and have the body of conventional cars. The availability and styles of these vehicles vary from year to year, but with battery technology getting more sophisticated, manufacturers will have the ability to design electric vehicles with extended range, faster charging and more power.
Perks and Conveniences
• Drive alone in the HOV lane • Free parking in some areas • Tax incentives from the Federal government • Cash incentives towards the lease or purchase of an EV from ARB and some local agencies • You can recharge at your home or work --you don’t have to make a trip to the gas station • Fuel costs are less than a conventional car estimated at $1 to $2 a day for a 30 to 70 mile commute • Maintenance costs are lower because there are fewer moving parts to service and repair • No noisy engine
Refueling
EVs are fueled by electricity and can be recharged at a charger installed at your home or workplace, or can be found at many other locations such as Costco and your local shopping mall. Currently there are two types of chargers, however in 2006 all vehicles produced will use the same system. Charging time varies depending on how “empty” the battery is, how much energy the battery holds (or how big the tank is) and other factors. In general, it takes approximately two to five hours to recharge vehicles that are ¼ to ¾ full and approximately six to eight hours to recharge vehicles that are on ”empty.” However, you'll probably be working, sleeping, shopping or watching a movie so it really doesn't seem that long.
Technology
The heart of an EV has three main components: the batteries, the electric motor controller, and the electric motor. The controller takes power from the batteries and delivers it to the motor. The batteries of an EV can vary in type, number, voltage and placement. The different battery types available now are Nickel-Cadmium, Nickel metal hydride, Lithium Ion, and Lead acid. To recharge the batteries, there is a charger component on the car which takes the electricity from a power source (ultimately the power plant) and converts the current from alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC).
Facts
• No tailpipe exhaust or evaporative emissions • No emissions system which can degrade or fail with time • No emissions from the refining of fuel and service stations Electric vehicles are the cleanest and most environmentally friendly car around • EVs reduce pollutants by more than 90 percent when compared to the cleanest conventional gasolinepowered vehicles (even when factoring in the emissions from power plants generating the electricity to the charge the vehicle). • Fuel costs for a gasoline vehicle can be over five times greater than an electric vehicle. • By driving an electric vehicle with a 30-mile commute, a person can reduce gasoline consumption by an estimated 750 gallons annually.
Safety
EVs meet all federal motor vehicle safety requirements. The batteries are sealed and all high-voltage circuits are protected from casual contact. High-voltage circuits are marked, color-coded and posted with warnings to advise of their presence. These vehicles pose no additional risks over a conventional vehicle.
Where can I get more information?
Please contact the ARB toll-free at (800) END-SMOG/(800) 363-7664 (California only) or (800) 272-4572. You may obtain this document in an alternative format by contacting ARB’s Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator at (916) 322-4505 (voice); (916) 324-9531 (TDD, Sacramento only); or (800) 700-8326 (TDD, outside Sacramento).
These vehicles include small 4-wheel vehicles, called Neighborhood Electric Vehicles or NEVs, which are powered entirely by electricity. Electric bikes, which combine human power and an electric motor, also fall into this category. Rules for using these vehicles vary by jurisdiction. Also see Alternative Fuel and Hybrid Electric Vehicles and Electric, Alternative-Fuel, and Hybrid Electric Vehicle Links and Resources.
 Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs)
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has defined a new category "low-speed vehicles" or "Neighborhood Electric Vehicles." These are small, 4-wheeled motor vehicles with top speeds of 20 to 25 miles per hour. NEVs must comply with safety standards that require them to have automotive grade headlights, seatbelts, windshields, brakes and other safety equipment. These vehicles can only be used on streets with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less.
Tax Credits for NEVs
The IRS offers a tax credit for using electric vehicles. IRS Form 8834 – Qualified Electric Vehicle Credit (PDF format) details the following guidelines for this tax credit.
Qualified Electric Vehicle
A qualified electric vehicle is any motor vehicle that is:
Manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways, and has at least four wheels;
Powered primarily by an electric motor drawing current from rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, or other portable sources of electrical current;
Originally used by you; and
Acquired for your own use and not for resale.
Exceptions. The qualified electric vehicle credit does not apply to vehicles that are:
Used primarily outside the United States,
Used by a governmental unit or agency or any foreign person or entity, or
Used by a tax-exempt organization (other than a section 521 farmers' cooperative) unless the property is used mainly in an unrelated trade or business taxed under section 511.
Caution: Gasoline/electric hybrid vehicles (such as the Honda Insight or Toyota Prius) that are not powered primarily by an electric motor are not qualified electric vehicles. However, part of the cost of these vehicles (up to $2,000 for a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating that does not exceed 10,000 pounds) may qualify for the deduction for clean-fuel vehicles, even if you do not use the vehicle for business purposes. See Pub. 535, Business Expenses (PDF format) for more details.
Electric Bicycles
Power Play - Electric bikes are giving commuters a speedy, sustainable alternative to cars.
By Daryn Eller, Body&Soul Magazine, March/April 2002
I am pedaling down a Los Angeles street, my destination the beach bike path up ahead. As I approach, I see that there's a short but sharp incline I'll need to ascend to get onto the path. No problem. I squeeze the throttle on my handlebars and my bike scoots up the hill with only the slightest effort on my part. Once I'm on the path, I take my finger off the throttle and resume pedaling, thankful that my electric bike lets me save energy in more ways than one.
Like most Americans, I spent some of last summer in a car, trapped in a sea of automobiles that moved at a crawl. I had plenty of time to listen to radio pundits going on ad nauseum about the possibility of drilling the Arctic to ease our energy woes, the fight over emission standards, worsening traffic jams nationwide and rising gas prices. I was shelling out more money at the pump than ever before and one friend in northern California told me it costs her $100 to fill up her SUV.
All this got me thinking about transportation alternatives and, in particular, a very cool little vehicle: the electric bike....read more.
Electric Bicycles
 Electric bikes are human-powered vehicles with an added battery-powered electric motor. Although capable of pushing you along without your help, electric bikes perform noticeably better when you pedal. Electric bikes typically travel at top speeds of 15 to 20 miles per hour and go up to 30 miles per charge. Charging an electric bike for four to six hours uses 5 cents worth of electricity from common 110 VAC wall outlets. An e-bike's power can give you a break from pedaling or supply more power when you're pulling a child-carrying cart or going up hills. Best of all these emission-free vehicles are easy on the environment.
There are two basic types of electric bikes – "adaptive" and "purpose-built." Adaptive designs are regular mountain, cruiser or road bikes with a motor attached to the frame. The "purpose-built" bicycle is built from scratch, is usually more stylish, and can include extras like headlights. Purpose-built e-bikes are more expensive: $1,000-$1,500 compared to $500-$900 for adaptive bikes. But you save about $5 to $6 in gas and maintenance costs for every 8 to 10 miles if you use the bike instead of your car.
Mopeds differ from e-bikes in that they generate more speed, risk, range, expense, pollution, and legal issues. Mopeds top out at 30 mph and often require a driver's license and registration to operate.
Rules & Regulations
Rules and regulations regarding use of light electric vehicles vary from state to state. The information below is from the Federal, Maryland, DC, and Virginia governments. For more detailed information, contact the local officials in your area.
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration: 49 CFR Part 571, [Docket No. NHTSA 98-3949], RIN 2127-AG58
PRECIS OF SUMMARY: (for full text of Summary, see 63 FR 33913). Responding to a growing public interest in using small 4-wheeled passenger vehicles to make short trips within retirement or other planned communities, NHTSA has issued Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 500 Low-speed vehicles (LSV) based on its January 1997 proposal. Standard No. 500 requires basic safety equipment including lights, windshields windshield wipers, and seat belts on motor vehicles, other than trucks, whose maximum speed is between 20 and 25 miles per hour. The rule is effective June 17, 1998. The principal vehicle in this class is the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). The rule does not apply to golf carts because their speed, as manufactured, is less than 20 mph. However, if any golf cart is modified on and after June 17, 1998, so that its maximum speed is over 20 mph, it must be conformed to Standard No. 500.
Federal Highway Administration: TEA-21 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century - Public Law 105-178
Definitions [1202(a)(7)]
Clarifies the permissibility of motorized wheelchair use on trails and pedestrian walkways that otherwise prohibit motorized use and also permits the use of electric bicycles on these facilities where State or local regulations permit.
Electric bicycles are defined as any bicycle or tricycle with a low-powered electric motor weighing under 100 pounds, with a top motor-powered speed of 20 miles per hour.
Virginia State Code references to bicycles also includes "electric-power assisted bicycles."1 Including the following:
§ 46.2-100. Definitions
"Electric power-assisted bicycle" means a bicycle equipped with an electric motor that reduces the pedal effort required of the rider, but does not eliminate the rider's need to pedal. For the purposes of Chapter 8 of this title, an electric power-assisted bicycle shall be a vehicle when operated on a highway.
§ 46.2-908.1. Electric power-assisted bicycles.
All electric power-assisted bicycles shall be equipped with spill-proof, sealed, or gel batteries. No person shall at any time or at any location drive an electric power-assisted bicycle faster than twenty-five miles per hour. No person less than fourteen years old shall drive any electric power-assisted bicycle unless under the immediate supervision of a person who is at least eighteen years old. (2001, c. 834.)
Maryland State Highway Administration:
Use of electric bicycles is regulated by whoever has local jurisdiction over each trail. There are no "statewide" regulations. Users must check with the local park service or police for information.2
Maryland-National Capital Park Police, Montgomery County and Prince Georges County Divisions: Electric power-assisted bicycles or tricycles are allowed on trails that allow bicycles. Top speed must be 25 mph or less, users must obey all posted speed limits and other posted regulations.3
District of Columbia: As far as I know we have no regulations for electric bikes.4
Sources for the rule information above and other D.C.-area contacts:
1Susan H. Simmers, State Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, Virginia Department of Transportation, Susan.Simmers@VirginiaDOT.org
Charles Denney, AICP, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, Arlington County Department of Public Works, cdenney@co.arlington.va.us
2Harvey Muller, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, Maryland State Highway Administration, hmuller@sha.state.md.us
Michael Jackson, Director of Bicycle and Pedestrian Access of the Maryland Department of Transportation, mjackson3@mdot.state.md.us
3Maryland-National Capital Park Police
Montgomery County Division, Sgt. Richards, 12751 Layhill Road, Silver Spring, MD 20906, 301-949-8010
Maryland-National Capital Park Police, Prince George's County Division, 6700 Riverdale Road, Riverdale, Maryland 20737, 301-459-9091
4Jim Sebastian, DC Department of Public Works, jim.sebastian@dc.gov
"Powerplay - Electric bikes are giving commuters a speedy, sustainable alternative to cars." by Daryn Eller, Body&Soul Magazine, March/April 2002, p.28.
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2-stroke gas engines are banned on or off road, (air/noise pollution). No license or insurance required for 4-stroke gas or electric scooters under 30 mph, but riders on public streets must be at least 16 and must wear proper safety gear, (bicycle helmets and night lighting). Other restrictions as bicycles and "Rules of the Road" apply. Prohibited on roadways posted 35 mph and over without a bicycle lane. No age limit for off-road riding and under the same restrictions as bicycles (sidewalks, pedestrian and bicycle paths). Riders under 16 years old should always be under the supervision of an adult 18 years or older. Local regulations may apply. Most public transportation systems allow electric scooters, but not gas, the same as "Bicycle Rules". Electric (not gas) scooters that can be folded, carried on and held in your lap or under your seat are usually allowed anytime.
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