Electric bikes and scooters have changed how we get around, whether for a daily commute, riding the trails or hauling cargo.
Modern e-bikes have transformed from heavy, clunky novelties into sleek, high-tech and efficient machines. The change is similar to the classic General Motors’ rebranding of the Oldsmobile cars in the late 1980s.
The new e-bikes and e-scooters also bring confusion and the increasing possibility of injury.
“What are these things?” asked Randy Wiessinger, Bureau of Transportation Safety, at the July 21 Shawano County Highway Safety Commission meeting. “It’s the hottest topic.”
According to the Shawano Police Department, Class 1 e-bikes provide pedal assistance and stop assisting once the rider reaches 20 mph. Class 2 e-bikes can be powered by a throttle without pedaling and also have a maximum speed of 20 mph. Class 3 e-bikes provide pedal assistance up to 28 mph, but riders must be at least 16 years old and the bicycle must be equipped with a speedometer.
“We have received complaints about e-bikes, e-motos and e-scooters traveling at excessive speeds in residential neighborhoods and city parks,” Chief Mike Musolff said. “We have not moved forward with banning these devices in the parks at this point in the year, although it remains an option for future consideration.”
Under Wisconsin law, e-bikes must have fully operable pedals, a motor rated at no more than 750 watts and a manufacturer-applied class label identifying the bicycle as a Class 1, 2, or 3 e-bike. Riders who operate compliant e-bikes do not need a driver’s license, registration or insurance.
E-bike riders are expected to follow the same rules of the road as traditional bicyclists. These include obeying traffic signals, yielding when required and avoiding reckless behavior such as weaving in and out of traffic.
Not following the rules can lead to accidents.
“I heard about a reported collision involving a scooter and a child, possibly at Franklin Park or Naberhood Park, following Thursdayz at Franklin,” Musolff said. “My understanding is that the child was transported to the hospital.”
On June 16, police responded to an accident involving an e-scooter and a car.
“The crash at McDonald’s involved a vehicle exiting the restaurant and an e-scooter traveling at a relatively high speed on the sidewalk,” Musolff said. “The vehicle was exiting slowly when the collision occurred. The scooter rider was transported to the hospital.”
A 2024 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report said e-bike injuries doubled every year from 2017 to 2022.
Officials also warn riders against modifying e-bikes in ways that push them beyond legal limits. E-bikes capable of speeds greater than 28 mph, motors exceeding 750 watts or bikes altered to remove pedals or bypass factory speed controls may be considered motor vehicles under Wisconsin law and could be subject to additional regulations.
Local law enforcement are also seeing increased use of e-motos, electric dirt-bike-style devices that lack pedals and are not legal for use on public roads, sidewalks, or multi-use trails.
“If it goes over 20 mph by power of an electric motor, it is not an e-anything,” Wiessinger said. “It is a motorcycle. E-motos, e-scooters, a bunch of them go 50 mph, obviously they can’t be registered as a motorcycle, so they’re illegally operating on the roadway.
“The biggest thing we’re seeing right now is e-motos. They’re basically like … a minibike. They go 50-60 mph, but they have no pedals. Those are e-motos. By definition, they’re motorcycles, but they can’t be licensed or registered as a motorcycle, so they’re illegal to operate anywhere except on your own private property, but people are buying them left and right.”
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
Riders of e-bikes and e-scooters are expected to follow the same rules of the road as traditional bicyclists. These include obeying traffic signals, yielding when required and avoiding reckless behavior such as weaving in and out of traffic. A crash between the rider of an e-scooter and a car in mid-June sent the e-scooter rider to the hospital. (Greg Mellis | NEW Media)
