Why Do Most Electric Bicycles Have Their Speed Limited at 50KPH?

Why Do Most Electric Bicycles Have Their Speed Limited at 50KPH?

We received an interesting question from a customer a couple of days ago.


We have wondered the same thing, so we did some research on this topic and hereby sharing our findings with you.


The question is why do most electric bicycles have their speed limited at 50kph?


There are several points to consider:


  • Design purpose and safety considerations

  • Electric bicycles are mainly used for daily commuting and short-distance travel. Excessive speed will increase safety risks. In most areas, electric bicycles are classified as motor vehicles if they are too fast and have too much power. 


    They need more certification, as well as license plates and insurance. Otherwise, they do not meet the traffic rules and actual use scenarios of most urban roads. Therefore, most electric bicycles on the market will not have high power and speeds exceeding 50 km/h.


    Electric scooters on the other hand are usually regarded as a means of transportation for entertainment or specific scenarios, and the use environment is relatively relaxed.


  • Body structure and stability

  • The body of an electric bicycle is larger and heavier. The larger the mass, the greater the inertia. Better controllability and stability are required when driving at high speeds. 


    Excessive speeds may make it difficult to control and increase the possibility of accidents. At the same time, the strength test of the frame, tires and brakes is greater, which will invisibly increase more costs; 


    Electric scooters are relatively light, and their stability is better than that of electric bicycles at high speeds.


    The performance of batteries and power systems is limited. 


    The common electric bicycle battery and motor technology currently has difficulty in meeting the requirements of vehicle weight, cost and endurance while providing the strong and continuous power output required to support a speed of 90km/h. 


    While meeting the output power, it is difficult to meet the endurance requirements. Even if it can meet the endurance requirements, it is difficult to find a matching model. 


    Scooters are smaller and lighter, and do not require too much output power and battery requirements while ensuring a good speed.


  • Regulatory restrictions

  • Countries and regions have strict regulatory restrictions on the speed of electric bicycles to ensure traffic safety and pedestrian rights. For electric scooters, the regulations may be relatively loose or not strictly enforced.


    In conclusion, it is not yet a realistic option to get an electric bicycle running at 90 km/h unless the bicycles can be made to be excessively lightweight and motor and battery endurance can be significantly improved.


    But again, safety is always first and we recommend max 50kph for bicycles. It is already the average road bicycle racing speed. 


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