I’m in the midst of researching a book on ebikes. This is not prescriptive (how-to) nonfiction. Rather, it’s narrative—the story of ebikes. I’ve interview some of the most pivotal figures in the U.S. bike industry, as regards ebikes. Some of the conversations that have been described to me were emotional, with strong feelings all around.
Of the many features of the effort to bring ebikes to the U.S. market, one of the negotiations that I find most fascinating was the decision to allow what we call Class 2 ebikes—that is, ebikes with throttles. Most often, these are thumb buttons advertised to allow someone to use them like an accelerator, controlling their speed. In actual practice, all of the thumb buttons I’ve tried have been binary—on or off.
That’s in the weeds, though.
What I find fascinating is the discussion regarding the decision to create Class 2. The conversation was contentious. Imagine the situation: A roomful of people, all of whom are cycling enthusiasts of one form or another. A number of them were hardcore racers. Some of those very hardcore racers advocated on behalf of throttles. That’s not what I find most interesting. This is: I don’t think I’ve talked to anyone who “likes” throttles. They don’t want an ebike with one for themselves, but they want them to exist. And while we cyclists here in the U.S. may have found the idea surprising at first, they are standard equipment on ebikes in China.
The issue, as it’s been framed for me, is a simple one: If people (riders, nonriders, the industry) want ebikes to take off here in the U.S., if only for the energy-saving and carbon-footprint-saving reasons, then we need to get as many people on them as possible.
At the dawn of the effort to get ebikes established as a consumer product that did not require a license and registration—something the industry knew was a giant impediment to growth—a select group of people working with PeopleforBikes to establish a new legal definition of an ebike saw an opportunity to carve out an exception for a throttle. The group included Pedego’s Don DiCostanzo, Larry Pizzi (Currie, iZip and others), and the Ed Benjamin of the Light Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA).
Growth in the ebike market is a boon to all cyclists. More people on ebikes means more infrastructure for bikes. It also means that drivers are gaining a greater appreciation of other people on the road. As the market has matured, we’ve begun to see notable improvements in the product. Here I’m thinking less about the way motors have improved than the way batteries have improved. Thanks to technologies like potting and the requirement to receive certification from a UL laboratory for all ebike batteries sold, battery reliability has never been better.
For the ebike haters who say that ebikes are cheating, the thumb button is a place to focus their ire. Nothing proves the point better than that. But are we still vexxed by people going faster than we are while putting out a third of the wattage we are? It seems silly to me. Even so, I can hold the idea that I absolutely don’t want a throttle on my ebike, but I’m glad people had the foresight to create the class.