Hawai'i Legislation prohibiting more than 750W on public roads

[sharkimano]

I just came across this article for clear definitions of E-bikes according to Hawaii Legislation.

https://www.khon2.com/local-news/e-bike-law-changes-hawaii/

A notable paragraph says "Devices capable of speeds over 28 mph or with motors exceeding 750 watts would be considered “high-speed electric devices” — and would generally be prohibited from public roads and bike paths. "

How does this affect the current Amflow offerings is open for debate. The other questions are will all manufacturers post the power and Torque (?) specs on the bike ?

"In addition, all e-bikes would need to be registered with the state for a one-time fee of $30 and must include manufacturer labels showing their classification, top speed and motor power."

Seems like this will put a damper on the Power race among the manufacturers. What do you think ?

 

[Spiff]

Normally, the legislation for ebikes limits the motor NOMINAL POWER, which is 250W, as in Pedelec ebikes in Europe.

But the peak power can exceed the nominal power for short periods , and in Avinox case can reach up to 1500W, but in Europe is still considered a Pedelec ebike.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Normally, the legislation for ebikes limits the motor NOMINAL POWER, which is 250W, as in Pedelec ebikes in Europe.

But the peak power can exceed the nominal power for short periods , and in Avinox case can reach up to 1500W, but in Europe is still considered a Pedelec ebike.

That really only applies to EU pedelec law. In the US the 750W refers to max power. The gray area, some states have a max limit of 1000W and a couple aren't really defined. I've said this before, but as far as the US is concerned Avinox leaves it to the consumer to be compliant. The lack of unified or Federal standard doesn't help.

Its akin to when the EU had the 250W nominal rating, but Austria put in a 600W maximum. At the time, Bosch complied with the 600W limit for motors sold throughout the EU/world. Once Austria dropped the 600W max, the 250W nominal allowed them to push towards 750W . At least this was their explanation during a gen 5 CX motor launch. 750W also aligns with limits set in the US (for the majority of states)

You can also argue the assist speeds are limited to 15 or 20 mph, so does all this power really matter anyway and how usable will it be. Battery consumption, traction, controllability, etc...

 

[DirkWisely]

That really only applies to EU pedelec law. In the US the 750W refers to max power. The gray area, some states have a max limit of 1000W and a couple aren't really defined. I've said this before, but as far as the US is concerned Avinox leaves it to the consumer to be compliant. The lack of unified or Federal standard doesn't help.

Its akin to when the EU had the 250W nominal rating, but Austria put in a 600W maximum. At the time, Bosch complied with the 600W limit for motors sold throughout the EU/world. Once Austria dropped the 600W max, the 250W nominal allowed them to push towards 750W . At least this was their explanation during a gen 5 CX motor launch. 750W also aligns with limits set in the US (for the majority of states)

You can also argue the assist speeds are limited to 15 or 20 mph, so does all this power really matter anyway and how usable will it be. Battery consumption, traction, controllability, etc...

Incorrect. The us law refers to neither peak nor nominal, so has functionally been treated as a nominal limit.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Incorrect. The us law refers to neither peak nor nominal, so has functionally been treated as a nominal limit.

Convenient... the CPSC defines a bicycle to include:

A two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1 h.p.), whose maximum speed on a paved level surface, when powered solely by such a motor while ridden by an operator who weighs 170 pounds, is less than 20 mph.

However individual state law language varies from what I've seen. I still like to see what these current motors (not just Avinox) are actually rated nominally to for mechanical power. Its certainly not 250W. M2S claims "130Nm max continuous" torque and that would translate to 1.3 hp (956 W) at a cadence of 70 rpm. Whereas the peak power is 1500W.

I'm no lawyer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express

 

[RustyIron]

What do you think ?

What irritates me is that as a mountain bike rider, I get lumped in with the road warriors, commuters, children, and DUI violators who clog up roads because they don't want to take the bus. It's pretty much established that Class 1 bikes are bicycles. Everything else is not. These jokers need to buy themselves a motorcycle or call an Uber.