The Electric Scooter: An Emerging Trend
It is a question that concerns many of us: will the electric scooter be legal in 2023? Like you, we were also curious and we investigated this in detail. It is important to understand how it is possible for scooter assisted scootering to be legal.
The e-bike, a bicycle with pedal assistance, has gained enormous popularity in the Netherlands in recent years. Ten years ago this was not yet the case, but the trend has continued and nowadays young and old are purchasing an e-bike. However, the regulations had not yet been adapted to these bicycles. The bicycle contained an engine, which meant that it fell under the special moped law of the RDW . The government saw this problem getting bigger and implemented an amendment to the law: "A motorcycle on a two-wheeler is allowed as long as muscle power has to be supplied to move forward".
The Electric Scooter and the Law
The electric scooter has shown the same trend development in recent years as the e-bike ten years ago. Electric scooters became a huge craze abroad and to this day you see someone scootering around every day (also in the Netherlands). However, the Dutch government has decided not to allow the e-step on public roads for safety reasons.
At our company we started working with the law that the government has written for two-wheelers. The scooter had no pedals, so we quickly figured that out. But there was an alternative: occasionally stepping to move forward creates muscle power. When you stop stepping, the motor also stops. This has created stepping with step support. This is also the reason that the scooter with step support falls under the law of the e-bike.
The LEV Framework 2023
Back to the LEV framework. LEV stands for light electric vehicles. This includes several vehicles, including: e-steps, scooters, but also small electric delivery cars or delivery bicycles. The government is currently implementing a new LEV Framework. The concept can be found on the website of the national government . The proposal is expected to be sent to parliament after the summer of 2023.
In category 1a, scooter or pedal-assisted vehicles have the following key features:
- The LEV does not have to be approved by the RDW before the LEV is allowed on public roads
- There is no minimum age
- The power of the motor is up to 250 watts
- You don't need a license plate
- You don't need insurance
In category 1b, all other LEVs have the following key characteristics:
- The LEV must first be approved by the RDW before the LEV is allowed on public roads
- You need a driver's license
- The minimum age is 16 years
- You need a license plate
- You need third-party insurance
Our scooter falls into category 1a due to scooter support. The other electric scooters (scooters with a throttle) fall under category 1b.
Search and Thou Shalt Find: Approval by RDW
We notice that potential customers don't always like to add a step every now and then. That is why we started looking for an alternative (a scooter with throttle) so that we can also make these customers happy with an electric scooter. The search began and ended with number 1: Approval by the RDW. The rules and safety requirements that an electric scooter must meet are almost equal to an electric scooter . As a result, we can almost say with certainty that it will be impossible for us, but also for others, to develop a scooter in the price category below € 2000.
The Future of the Electric Scooter
Unfortunately, the new LEV Framework 2023 does not change the current regulations regarding electric scooters. In any case, we can say that we are very happy to see our scooter back in category 1a. As a result, the Netherlands can still enjoy electric scooters on public roads. You have to give a step every 8 seconds, but then you do step!
The future of the electric scooter in the Netherlands therefore remains uncertain for a while. But one thing is certain: the demand for this form of transport continues to grow. And who knows, maybe in the future we will see a change in the legislation that allows the use of electric scooters on public roads. Until then, we will continue to follow developments closely and keep you informed of the latest news in the world of electric scooters.
