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UK e-bike law: what makes a bike a legal EAPC
In Great Britain an electric bike that meets the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle rules is treated as a normal bicycle, with no licence, tax, registration or insurance required. Miss any of the limits and it becomes a motor vehicle in law.
The three EAPC limits
To count as an Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle in Great Britain a bike must meet three conditions set out in the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations. The motor must have a continuous rated power of 250 watts or less. The motor must only assist while you are pedalling, so a throttle that drives the bike without pedalling is not permitted on a standard EAPC. The assistance must cut off once the bike reaches 15.5 mph (25 km/h).
A compliant EAPC must also show either the power output or the manufacturer, and the battery voltage or the maximum speed, marked on the bike.
What you can ride and where
If a bike meets the EAPC rules you can ride it on roads and anywhere a normal pedal cycle is allowed, with no licence, no vehicle tax, no registration and no compulsory insurance. You must be at least 14 years old to ride one.
Because it is legally a pedal cycle, an EAPC does not need a driving licence and you do not have to wear a motorcycle helmet, though a cycle helmet is sensible.
When it stops being an EAPC
A bike whose motor is rated above 250 watts, or that assists beyond 15.5 mph, or that can be driven on throttle alone without pedalling above walking pace, is not an EAPC. In law it is then a motor vehicle, which must be type-approved, registered, taxed and insured, and the rider needs the appropriate licence and helmet. Twist-and-go throttle bikes approved before 2016 are treated differently, but new throttle-only bikes fall outside the EAPC rules.
Speed pedelecs (S-Pedelecs) that assist up to 28 mph are legal in some countries but are not EAPCs in the UK: they are classed as mopeds and carry the full registration, insurance, licence and helmet requirements.
| Rule | EAPC limit |
|---|---|
| Continuous rated motor power | 250 W maximum |
| Assistance cut-off speed | 15.5 mph (25 km/h) |
| Assistance mode | Pedal assist only (no unpedalled throttle drive) |
| Minimum rider age | 14 |
| Licence, tax, insurance, registration | None required |
Great Britain EAPC limits. Northern Ireland requires registration and insurance for e-bikes.
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Sources: GOV.UK, Electric bikes: licensing, tax and insurance ยท The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Regulations 1983 (as amended 2015)