"New Jersey's car-brained lawmakers had just passed legislation that would impose heavy restrictions on e-bike ownership in the state, and I was livid. Obviously there's been a lot of concern about the growing number of teenagers being injured and killed while riding e-bikes, many of them powerful, high-speed ones that are more akin to motorcycles than bikes. Lawmakers claim they're just trying to bring some order to what is increasingly becoming a wild, unregulated market."
"Andrew J. Hawkins is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State. This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on the e-bike movement, follow Andrew J. Hawkins. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here."
New Jersey enacted a broad law that imposes heavy restrictions on e-bike ownership and treats diverse e-bike types the same. The law responds to rising injuries and deaths among teenagers riding powerful, high-speed e-bikes that resemble motorcycles. It also captures low-speed pedal-assist bikes used by delivery workers and parents, forcing owners of no-throttle, sub-20mph e-bikes to register with the DMV and comply with the same rules as high-powered e-motos. The measure risks penalizing practical, low-power micromobility and complicating access for commuters, delivery workers, and families who rely on e-bikes instead of cars.
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