The issue is also with how the rules are written.
The max 250W refer to continuous motor power over 30 minutes.
Here’s how that is measured to determine if a motor is legal:
The motor has a temperature of 25+/-5°C at the start of the test.
It is then supplied with the power the manufacturer says is closest to its maximum continuous power.
The power at the crank is measured and its average must not exceed 250W during the test.
After 30 minutes, the motor must not have warmed up by more than 20K.
So a manufacturer can have their motor tested at 250W and passed, even though it can supply 1000W peak power.
And all they need to do (legally, mind you) to supply 1000W continuously is add some cooling fins.
You are correct that the power of 250W is not very strictly defined in the standards. However, for the maximum speed there is a clear specification or 25 km/h with a maximum tolerance of 10%.
Regarding the power, yes it’s true that the bike standard EN15194 allows for some creativity to boost the power (not the speed) and many ebike systems do this. However, it seems that lately this is getting out of hand with some system manufacturers offering motors with more than 1000W of peak power. This raises the question if the way the standard describes it, might be modified in the future to better align the product with the vehicle class. The whole epac vehicle class was initially meant to help people who need pedal support to cycle. The epac class was intentionally created and classified as a bike instead of a motor vehicle to promote public mobility and health. And you could make an argument that a 1000W electric bike abuses that class for a different purpose.
The movement to tighten the regulation is already underway.
And it has a good chance of succeeding, since Bosch is greasing palms to get it passed.
Of course they’ll design their proposal in a way that’ll also shut out their Chinese competition.
The issue is also with how the rules are written.
The max 250W refer to continuous motor power over 30 minutes.
Here’s how that is measured to determine if a motor is legal:
So a manufacturer can have their motor tested at 250W and passed, even though it can supply 1000W peak power.
And all they need to do (legally, mind you) to supply 1000W continuously is add some cooling fins.
You are correct that the power of 250W is not very strictly defined in the standards. However, for the maximum speed there is a clear specification or 25 km/h with a maximum tolerance of 10%.
Regarding the power, yes it’s true that the bike standard EN15194 allows for some creativity to boost the power (not the speed) and many ebike systems do this. However, it seems that lately this is getting out of hand with some system manufacturers offering motors with more than 1000W of peak power. This raises the question if the way the standard describes it, might be modified in the future to better align the product with the vehicle class. The whole epac vehicle class was initially meant to help people who need pedal support to cycle. The epac class was intentionally created and classified as a bike instead of a motor vehicle to promote public mobility and health. And you could make an argument that a 1000W electric bike abuses that class for a different purpose.
The movement to tighten the regulation is already underway.
And it has a good chance of succeeding, since Bosch is greasing palms to get it passed.
Of course they’ll design their proposal in a way that’ll also shut out their Chinese competition.