When New Jersey passed one of the country’s most restrictive e-bike laws earlier this year, plenty of riders, advocates, and bike shops warned that it would have consequences. Now, just a few weeks after the law officially took effect, those predictions appear to have come true.
Bike shops across the state are reporting declines in e-bike sales ranging from 20% to an astonishing 90%, with many saying customers are simply deciding that owning an e-bike in New Jersey is no longer worth the hassle.
The law, which took effect on July 19, requires every e-bike in the state to be registered, from the slowest Class 1 pedal-assist models all the way through faster Class 3 bikes. Riders under 17 without a driver’s license must pass an MVC licensing test to obtain a special e-bike license, while Class 2 throttle-equipped e-bikes and Class 3 models also require insurance, similar to owning a car.
The result has been widespread confusion. Some customers reportedly believe e-bikes have simply been banned outright. Others tell dealers they’ll just buy online and ignore the requirements. And many are choosing not to buy an e-bike at all.
The impact on local businesses has been severe. One New Jersey dealer said sales plunged 90%, another reported a 63% decline, while others described losing between 20% and 60% of their e-bike business. Several shops have already laid off employees, closed rental operations, downsized, or warned they may not survive through the end of the year.
Perhaps most troubling are the unintended consequences for the very people e-bikes help the most. Dealers who specialize in mobility-focused transportation say disabled customers are returning newly purchased e-bikes or abandoning plans to buy them altogether because they fear they won’t qualify for licensing or insurance requirements. One retailer described customers losing transportation to work or school because of the new rules.
What’s particularly frustrating is that many of these problems were predictable. The law treats a low-speed 15-20 mph (25-32 km/h) throttle-equipped Class 2 e-bike much more like a motorcycle than like a bicycle, despite its similar performance to a standard Class 1 pedal-assist bike. Bike shops and advocacy groups have instead urged lawmakers to exempt low-speed e-bikes under 20 mph (32 km/h) from licensing, registration, and insurance requirements while focusing regulation on higher-speed, higher-powered machines that more closely resemble electric mopeds.
It’s hard to argue with that logic. If the goal was to improve safety, discouraging people from riding bicycles and pushing them back into cars seems like an odd way to do so, especially when cars are the very things supposedly making e-bikes “unsafe”.
Here in QLD, Australia we beat you to this stupidity by a little. We, like Europe (and pretty much everywhere that’s not US) has 25kph pedaling requirements. ‘The Youf’ were getting around on OP unregistered e-motorcycles (by existing laws, with no import protections) so our tough on crime right wing gov decided to step in, instead of, you know, enforcing the existing law and stop importing inappropriate devices.
You now need a license (learners or better), to travel at 12kph on shared paths (most of the bikeways) instead of just slowing down to pass pedestrians like a civilized person. The bike also needs to be European standard (protect the hard to repair incumbents) or face an unspecified certification procedure starting in Feb?.
I’m currently analogue (built a midmount 250W like a decade ago before all this but ditched it because I wasn’t getting enough exercise) but looking to make a Bafang or similar so I can actually repair it and ditch a car. The whole shitshow is a mess.
I wasn’t expecting to say this, but New Jersey, I feel your pain.
It is a motorcycle or a moped and it is also not safe to be riding at that speed at a sidewalk among pedestrias but what’s also true is that anyone can reach those speeds on a traditional bicycle and the outcome of a crash is just as severe.
but what’s also true is that anyone can reach those speeds on a traditional bicycle and the outcome of a crash is just as severe.
Except reaching those speeds on a traditional bicycle requires significantly more effort, and is really only possible for adults that are somewhat active. I doubt there’s any 10yo that can reach 30mph on a traditional bike on flat ground
I live in an area with a huge mountain. I used to ride my road bike up the mountain for 15 miles. Then after the summit I would ride back down. I have hit speeds of 50mph on my carbon fiber road bike. Anyone could hit that speed on the right downhill. Another cyclist died going down that same mountain because he had a blow out going 50 mph.
Agree 100%. There are times that the road is so unsafe for me I get on the sidewalk, but I usually keep my speed to around 4mph, and if I see a pedestrian I stop and wait for them to pass. 4mph is about how fast a human could run.
I can’t speak for everyone, but there is a spot in my city where I will briefly get up on the sidewalk with my bike, and for me the reason is always the same, the street isn’t safe. The downtown where I work has no bike lanes, no shoulder, and people blatantly running red lights, blowing stop signs across 4-6 lanes of traffic while speeding. There is no greater joy than getting doored because the other alternative is swerving further into the road and getting run over at 40+ mph. For those two blocks it’s safer for me to slowly push the bike along with my feet until I get to the next block and ride in the street again. Too many cyclists that get on the sidewalks don’t show deference to people walking, the same way they wished cars would show some deference to them.
It really depends. IMO you should ride wherever is safest for everyone. I would say more people use scooters on the sidewalk than bikes. And the 15-20mph is dangerous claims don’t hold up when you can literally go 1mph or walk it if the sidewalks have pedestrians. Going 20mph on a sidewalk with people around is dangerous. Going 20mph on a sidewalk that is empty when the road has shit or no bike lanes is most likely much safer for everyone.
Vespa is about 3-5 times the weight of an e scooter and I assume yours runs in gasoline, so not really a fair comparison but if going under 20mph on the sidewalk is what you consider the safest course of action in a specific circumstance then I’m not sure anybody would fault you for it. Or just get yourself an e-scooter if you use your Vespa for very short trips. The convenience of being able to ride in safer locations where you’re not having to be hyper vigilant of not only your own actions but also those of cars that might very quickly end your life because someone was texting is pretty nice.
I ride a motorcycle too (not even on the sidewalk) and can tell you for a fact that e scooters are night and day safer transportation under normal use cases.
Generally no. In my state that’s illegal, though everyone looks the other way if it’s just kuds on regular bikes. I doubt that’ll continue to be true if kids start blowing past a 30mph though
A dump from the article:
When New Jersey passed one of the country’s most restrictive e-bike laws earlier this year, plenty of riders, advocates, and bike shops warned that it would have consequences. Now, just a few weeks after the law officially took effect, those predictions appear to have come true.
Bike shops across the state are reporting declines in e-bike sales ranging from 20% to an astonishing 90%, with many saying customers are simply deciding that owning an e-bike in New Jersey is no longer worth the hassle.
The law, which took effect on July 19, requires every e-bike in the state to be registered, from the slowest Class 1 pedal-assist models all the way through faster Class 3 bikes. Riders under 17 without a driver’s license must pass an MVC licensing test to obtain a special e-bike license, while Class 2 throttle-equipped e-bikes and Class 3 models also require insurance, similar to owning a car.
The result has been widespread confusion. Some customers reportedly believe e-bikes have simply been banned outright. Others tell dealers they’ll just buy online and ignore the requirements. And many are choosing not to buy an e-bike at all.
The impact on local businesses has been severe. One New Jersey dealer said sales plunged 90%, another reported a 63% decline, while others described losing between 20% and 60% of their e-bike business. Several shops have already laid off employees, closed rental operations, downsized, or warned they may not survive through the end of the year.
Perhaps most troubling are the unintended consequences for the very people e-bikes help the most. Dealers who specialize in mobility-focused transportation say disabled customers are returning newly purchased e-bikes or abandoning plans to buy them altogether because they fear they won’t qualify for licensing or insurance requirements. One retailer described customers losing transportation to work or school because of the new rules.
What’s particularly frustrating is that many of these problems were predictable. The law treats a low-speed 15-20 mph (25-32 km/h) throttle-equipped Class 2 e-bike much more like a motorcycle than like a bicycle, despite its similar performance to a standard Class 1 pedal-assist bike. Bike shops and advocacy groups have instead urged lawmakers to exempt low-speed e-bikes under 20 mph (32 km/h) from licensing, registration, and insurance requirements while focusing regulation on higher-speed, higher-powered machines that more closely resemble electric mopeds.
It’s hard to argue with that logic. If the goal was to improve safety, discouraging people from riding bicycles and pushing them back into cars seems like an odd way to do so, especially when cars are the very things supposedly making e-bikes “unsafe”.
yes but a few car industry execs and lobbyists got huge bonuses for their hard work on the new regulations, so there’s that!
Here in QLD, Australia we beat you to this stupidity by a little. We, like Europe (and pretty much everywhere that’s not US) has 25kph pedaling requirements. ‘The Youf’ were getting around on OP unregistered e-motorcycles (by existing laws, with no import protections) so our tough on crime right wing gov decided to step in, instead of, you know, enforcing the existing law and stop importing inappropriate devices.
You now need a license (learners or better), to travel at 12kph on shared paths (most of the bikeways) instead of just slowing down to pass pedestrians like a civilized person. The bike also needs to be European standard (protect the hard to repair incumbents) or face an unspecified certification procedure starting in Feb?.
I’m currently analogue (built a midmount 250W like a decade ago before all this but ditched it because I wasn’t getting enough exercise) but looking to make a Bafang or similar so I can actually repair it and ditch a car. The whole shitshow is a mess.
I wasn’t expecting to say this, but New Jersey, I feel your pain.
Tbf, 15-20mph on a throttle equipped bicycle is a motorcycle and is not safe for other isers of the sidewalk.
It is a motorcycle or a moped and it is also not safe to be riding at that speed at a sidewalk among pedestrias but what’s also true is that anyone can reach those speeds on a traditional bicycle and the outcome of a crash is just as severe.
Except reaching those speeds on a traditional bicycle requires significantly more effort, and is really only possible for adults that are somewhat active. I doubt there’s any 10yo that can reach 30mph on a traditional bike on flat ground
The comment I replied to said 15 to 20mph. That’s a pretty standard cruising speed for a healthy adult.
On a road bike a 10 can easily hit 20-30mph
You have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about if you’re seriously suggesting a 10yo could actually hit 30mph. Get tf out of here
I live in an area with a huge mountain. I used to ride my road bike up the mountain for 15 miles. Then after the summit I would ride back down. I have hit speeds of 50mph on my carbon fiber road bike. Anyone could hit that speed on the right downhill. Another cyclist died going down that same mountain because he had a blow out going 50 mph.
Removed by mod
On a road bike? Just about any 10 year old on a slight decline.
Learn to fucking read.
Agree 100%. There are times that the road is so unsafe for me I get on the sidewalk, but I usually keep my speed to around 4mph, and if I see a pedestrian I stop and wait for them to pass. 4mph is about how fast a human could run.
Are bicycles normally allowed on sidewalks? I’ve always lived where they have to ride in bike lanes or on bike paths.
In most regions, bicycles are not legal on sidewalks.
But guess where people ride them!
(It’s on the sidewalk)
I can’t speak for everyone, but there is a spot in my city where I will briefly get up on the sidewalk with my bike, and for me the reason is always the same, the street isn’t safe. The downtown where I work has no bike lanes, no shoulder, and people blatantly running red lights, blowing stop signs across 4-6 lanes of traffic while speeding. There is no greater joy than getting doored because the other alternative is swerving further into the road and getting run over at 40+ mph. For those two blocks it’s safer for me to slowly push the bike along with my feet until I get to the next block and ride in the street again. Too many cyclists that get on the sidewalks don’t show deference to people walking, the same way they wished cars would show some deference to them.
If you’re on the sidewalk, pushing with your feet because the street isn’t safe, that’s fair.
I see too many bicyclists going full tilt down the sidewalk just because.
It really depends. IMO you should ride wherever is safest for everyone. I would say more people use scooters on the sidewalk than bikes. And the 15-20mph is dangerous claims don’t hold up when you can literally go 1mph or walk it if the sidewalks have pedestrians. Going 20mph on a sidewalk with people around is dangerous. Going 20mph on a sidewalk that is empty when the road has shit or no bike lanes is most likely much safer for everyone.
So then it should be fine for my Vespa to ride on the sidewalk when no one is around .
Vespa is about 3-5 times the weight of an e scooter and I assume yours runs in gasoline, so not really a fair comparison but if going under 20mph on the sidewalk is what you consider the safest course of action in a specific circumstance then I’m not sure anybody would fault you for it. Or just get yourself an e-scooter if you use your Vespa for very short trips. The convenience of being able to ride in safer locations where you’re not having to be hyper vigilant of not only your own actions but also those of cars that might very quickly end your life because someone was texting is pretty nice.
I ride a motorcycle too (not even on the sidewalk) and can tell you for a fact that e scooters are night and day safer transportation under normal use cases.
And I bet your a lane splitter too.
Thanks for telling me everything I needed to know.
Generally no. In my state that’s illegal, though everyone looks the other way if it’s just kuds on regular bikes. I doubt that’ll continue to be true if kids start blowing past a 30mph though