E-Bikes
Class 3 e-bike
What does Class 3 e-bike mean?
A US e-bike whose motor helps only while you pedal and stops assisting at 28 mph (45 km/h). California also requires a speedometer.
A Class 3 e-bike is the fastest bicycle-class e-bike in the US. California Vehicle Code 312.5 defines it as an e-bike whose motor “ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour” and which is “equipped with a speedometer.” Class 1 and Class 2 bikes stop at 20 mph.
What rules come with a Class 3 e-bike?
In California, section 21213 bars riders under 16 and requires a bicycle helmet. Other states write their own versions, so check yours.
How is it different from a speed pedelec?
A Class 3 e-bike and an EU speed pedelec both assist to 45 km/h (28 mph). The Class 3 bike is a bicycle under US state law; the speed pedelec is a type-approved moped. The Stromer ST7 is sold as both, with 750 W in the US and 940 W in the EU. Our high-speed e-bike guide compares them, and the fastest e-bikes guide shows where Class 3 sits on the speed ladder.
Also known as: Class 3, Class 3 e-bikes, Class 3 electric bicycle
Related terms
- Speed pedelec An e-bike that assists up to 45 km/h (28 mph). In the EU it is a type-approved L1e-B moped, ridden with an AM licence under national moped rules.
- Assist cut-off speed The road speed at which an e-bike's motor must stop helping: 25 km/h (15.5 mph) in the UK and EU, 20 or 28 mph in the US.
- Low-speed electric bicycle The US federal product definition of an e-bike: working pedals, a motor under 750 W, and under 20 mph on motor power alone.