E-bikes in California 

Nowadays, we see electric bicycles, more commonly known as e-bikes, all around us. From campus bike paths to the Davis streets, the presence of e-bikes has grown rapidly throughout California and the Davis community. Providing an easier cycling experience through motor assistance and allowing further and less strenuous rides, it’s understandable to see why e-bikes have become so popular. 

To many e-bike advocates, they are a more environmentally friendly, convenient, and cost-effective alternative to car travel. More widespread adoption could have broader benefits as well, such as lowering greenhouse emissions and reducing roadway congestion. 

But the increased prevalence of e-bikes comes with more questions about their safety, pushing policymakers and transportation planners to address the question of how we can ensure the safety of everyone on the road while continuing to encourage e-bike use. 

Davis, as a city, has always been on the forefront of cycling infrastructure, with some of the first dedicated bike lanes in the United States. But much of this infrastructure was constructed for conventional bicycles, and the introduction of e-bikes adds in an entirely new dynamic. Ensuring safe regulations for e-bikes can help improve the experience of everyone enjoying Davis’s wonderful bike infrastructure. 

A report from the Mineta Transportation Institute directed by California SB 381 explored this issue, evaluating different policy options for California and providing valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities created by e-bikes.

 

What is an E-bike?

One of the most foundational, but also most challenging, pieces of e-bike safety is understanding the legal definitions that make something an e-bike. There are a few qualifications under California law that must be met for an e-bike to be considered an e-bike. It must have two or three wheels, operable pedals, and a motor that cannot produce over 750 watts of power. There are also three classes of devices that meet the above qualifications are divided into:

Class 1, where the motor stops at 20mph, and the vehicle is pedal assist only. 

Class 2, where the motor stops at 20mph and is controlled with a throttle.

Class 3, where the motor stops at 28mph, and the vehicle is pedal assist only

But many e-bike that are marketed and purchased as such today don’t meet these legal qualifications. These include vehicles whose motors go above 750 watts or that can travel at speeds exceeding the 20 or 28mph limits. Many of these vehicles that are sold as compliant are also easy to modify past their limits. These vehicles have similar appearances but drastically different safety risks, researchers and policymakers have no guarantee that safety incidents caused by “e-bikes” were caused by one that was legal or not. 

 

E-bike Safety Data Issues

A lack of reliable data on e-bike safety continually makes regulation difficult. In the report, many counts of vehicles at Middle and High Schools in Northern California found that as low as 12% of those vehicles met the qualifications to legally be an e-bike. When this proportion is assumed to be representative on a larger scale, it tells us that while attempting to regulate legal e-bikes, we have been using safety data that results from vehicles outside of legal guidelines.   

Even so, there are some patterns that can be seen regardless. When e-bike riders do get hurt, they tend to get hurt more severely and have higher rates of hospitalization than those riding a conventional bike. E-bike injuries are most commonly found from solo crashes, whereas interactions with other vehicles are a large factor in e-bike deaths. 

 

What Can be done?

The report offers some policy recommendations that both protect public safety while encouraging e-bike adoption. 

Focus on infrastructure – The most effective method at increasing e-bike safety in the report is the construction of protected bike lanes. Well-designed infrastructure can limit the risk of incidents between e-bikes and other vehicles, improving safety for everyone sharing the road or path. Davis already has strong bike infrastructure in place, but continued investment will increase e-bike safety. 

Improve the data – Reducing uncertainty in data will lead to more informed policy decisions. There is no reliable way to distinguish between legal and illegal e-bikes when reporting incidents, so revised reporting methods would help improve the quality of the data we receive. 

Regulate sales – All e-bike sales should have strict disclosure requirements that ensure that only legal e-bikes are being sold and which class that e-bike falls into. 

 

Bigger Picture

The potential impacts of e-bikes on transportation and urban mobility are immense, with their ability to reduce dependence on cars and provide increased transportation access. But they also pose a policy challenge, requiring thoughtful policy and planning to be safely incorporated. California wants to promote them as a transportation option but also wants to do so as safely as it can. Doing so safely will require some reflection on the current data and the implementation of laws and infrastructure that can keep up with a rapidly growing e-bike market. Finding the right balance between protecting the safety of those sharing the road and encouraging e-bike adoption will be essential in Davis and in California as they continue to embrace e-bikes. 

Please note Cool Davis grieves with the community for the passing of a community member in the collision on the multi-use path earlier this month.  We are grateful for the work of community bicycle advocacy and city pedestrian, bike safety staff to address this tragedy.  This article was prepared by new Cool Davis policy correspondent Leo Johnson before this event, in anticipation of May is Bike month.  We hope the review of and content from the recent policy report are helpful to our community discussion.

Sources

California Department of Motor Vehicles Two-wheel vehicle operation

Agrawal, Aisha Weinstein, and Kevin Fang. Exploring Electric Bicycle Safety Performance Data and Policy Options for California. Mineta Transportation Institute, Dec. 2025.