What Are Ebike ‘Classes’ and What Do They Mean?

Over nan past fewer years, electric bikes person skyrocketed successful fame (conscious determination not to usage nan connection exploded there), pinch immoderate estimates saying that ebike income successful nan US grew tenfold complete nan past decade. Whether you are successful nan marketplace for your first ebike aliases are borrowing 1 from your local lending library, you mightiness beryllium wondering what an ebike’s people denotes.

There are 3 designations of ebikes successful America—Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3—that are defined by a mini fistful of characteristics. While astir ebikes person a maximum powerfulness output of 750 watts, it’s a operation of a bike’s apical velocity and how that velocity is achieved that puts each ebike into its correct class. The 3 classes besides find wherever you tin thrust your ebike.

Laws alteration authorities by state, but location is capable crossover to make immoderate wide points astir really and wherever you tin thrust your ebike, depending connected its class. “When it comes to ebike classes, nan laws are really akin crossed states,” said Doug Dahl, communications lead astatine Target Zero, a section of nan Washington Traffic Commission successful Olympia, Washington.

Updated September 2025: We broadly updated this explainer.

Class 1 Electric Bikes

Class 1 ebikes usage only pedal-assist technology. In different words, a rider has to beryllium powering nan bike’s pedals for nan electrical centrifugal to footwear in. In immoderate instances, Class 1 bikes besides person a handlegrip-based aliases thumb-activated throttle. However, those tin only beryllium activated erstwhile nan rider is pedaling nan bike.

Additionally, Class 1 ebikes person a apical velocity of 20 miles per hour.

In astir places, a Class 1 ebike is ineligible to thrust conscionable astir anyplace you tin thrust accepted bikes (which are coming to beryllium known arsenic “analog bikes” aliases nan moreover much annoying “acoustic bikes”), specified arsenic connected greenways, motorcycle lanes, and parkland paths.

Class 2 Electric Bikes

In summation to pedal assist, Class 2 ebikes are equipped pinch throttles that a rider tin run moreover erstwhile they aren’t pedaling. Think of a mini moped aliases a very, very slow motorcycle. So slow, successful fact, that their apical velocity is legally regulated to 20 miles per hour.

Like Class 1 ebikes, Class 2 bikes are permitted conscionable astir everywhere. In different words, nan only quality betwixt Class 1 and Class 2 ebikes is simply a throttle that tin beryllium operated independent of nan pedal-assist mechanism.

Class 3 Electric Bikes

With a apical velocity of 28 miles per hour, Class 3 bikes are nan astir powerful of all. However, fixed their speed, astir states enforce heavier restrictions connected wherever you tin thrust a Class 3 ebike. Like immoderate bicycle, riders tin run a Class 3 ebike connected roads, successful postulation lanes, and successful road-adjacent motorcycle lanes. However, Class 3 bikes are typically prohibited connected greenways, paths, and successful parks.

Some ebikes connection riders nan expertise to toggle betwixt Classes 2 and 3, offering much options arsenic to wherever and really you mightiness thrust your ebike.

Ebike aliases Electric Motorcycle?

Before going immoderate further, let’s jump backmost to wherever I made mention of a mini moped aliases a very, very slow motorcycle. As electrical exertion develops rapidly, and states and municipalities purpose to support up, location is simply a batch of grey area arsenic to what is and isn’t an ebike, really those things disagree from scooters, and whether aliases not immoderate of them are mopeds.

An easy measurement to find whether your ebike is genuinely an ebike, thereby requiring nary further licensing specified arsenic a motorcycle licence aliases a driver’s license, is to statement nan bike’s apical speed. If nan machine’s electrical centrifugal is tin of speeds successful excess of 28 miles per hour, it is not an ebike, sloppy of what authorities you’re in.