While some US states try to kill e-bikes, one is pushing more kids onto them
Across the US, the e-bike policy map is starting to look oddly contradictory. In some states, lawmakers are responding to the rise of high-powered, moped-like electric bikes by reaching for blunt instruments: licensing requirements, insurance mandates, registration schemes, and laws that effectively treat e-bikes like motorcycles. New Jersey’s recent move to scrap the widely adopted three-class system in favor of motor-vehicle-style regulation is a prime example of how quickly a state can go from “e-bikes are the future” to “please don’t ride one at all.”