Are e-bikes and e-scooters legal in the UK? Law explained as MPs call for number plates and insurance

E-bikes and e-scooters should have to be registered and insured in the same way as motorbikes and cars, according to MPs.

Ian Stewart, chairman of the Commons Transport Select Committee, said that the current regulations had not kept up with technology and the idea of insurance for the vehicles should be examined.

There are concerns that the weight and speed of e-bikes pose a far greater threat to other road users than ordinary pedal cycles. They can weigh up to twice as much as a regular bike and although they are officially restricted to 15.5mph they can be modified to travel more than twice that speed.

Recent fatal crashes involved e-bikes, including one which sparked rioting in Cardiff, have reignited debate over controlling their use. 

Stewart told the Mail on Sunday: “There is a case for looking at insurance arrangements. I don’t think the regulations are a good fit for new technologies. It’s not just e-bikes, there are issues with e-scooters and driver-assist/self-driving technology increasingly embedded in cars.”

Fellow committee member Greg Smith told the newspaper: “With more types of vehicle competing for road space, it is only fair that all users are treated equally.

“E-bikes and e-scooters can achieve considerable speeds and cause damage to other vehicles and injure people, so should have to carry the same insurance requirements and tax liabilities as users of motor cars.”

The calls come after Saul Cookson, 15, died when his e-bike crashed into an ambulance shortly after being followed by police in Salford, Greater Manchester, on Thursday. Last month, Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, were killed in Cardiff when riding a Sur-Ron electric bicycle through the Ely area of the city.

The potential danger of e-bikes were raised in a court case in 2020 following the death of 56-year-old pedestrian Sakine Cihan in August 2018, after she was knocked down and killed by a rider in Dalston, east London.

Thomas Hanlon was brought before the Old Bailey accused of causing her death by careless driving in what was believed to be the first case of its kind, but was cleared by a jury.

Are e-bikes legal in the UK?

E-bikes are legal to use on UK roads and cycle paths for any rider over the age of 14 as long as the motor can’t propel the bike at more than 15.5mph and the motor has a maximum power output of 250 watts. E-scooters, however, are illegal for use in public unless they are part of one of ongoing official trails. 

High-profile lawyer Nick Freeman said the current arrangement around motorised bikes and scooters “doesn’t work”. He said: 'If an e-bike is ridden by a fit person and it is going over 15.5mph, it's a moped. We have this ridiculous situation where it morphs into something else – it moves from very little regulation to full regulation.”

He called for e-bikes to be registered and insured and for riders to be forced by law to wear helmets. 

Tony Campbell, chief executive of the Motor Cycle Industry Association, said current regulations were “outdated” and said that laws should also include anti-tampering measures to stop e-bikes being modified for faster speeds.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “There are strict laws in place around dangerous cycling and police have the power to prosecute if these are broken.”

E-bikes and e-scooters are coming under increased scrutiny around Europe. In April, Paris residents voted to ban e-scooters from the city amid safety concerns and a bill put before the French senate in March proposes that any motorised vehicle capable of more than 6km per hour should be required to display number plates.