In cars, if horsepower was measured to be a determining factor in being allowed to buy one, then that’d be the peak power, so it’s weird to go by rated power in watts for usage rather than the peak power output on e-bikes. Generally the most productive way to measure “power” is power-to-weight-ratio anyway.
To play devils advocate a bit, cars do require formal licensing, and because everyone has one, the government has more reason to invest infrastructure into their oversight. But on the flip side, they’re also about a million times more dangerous. Here in the US the government generally wants to be as “hands off” as possible, but I know that’s not the same in other parts of the world so I’m sure I look at things a bit differently than you do on account of being American.
And do companies actually sell high power e-bikes? My understanding has generally been that folks modify them. You can buy a super car from the factory, but both cars and bikes have the potential for “hot-rodding” and performance tuning, which does feel like it complcates preemptive oversight like regulations.
Personally I also really enjoy people being able to hack on, customize and tune the tech and machines that are part of their lives. The big problem is how you operate the vehicle, but there’s strong argument to be made either way whether the scale of the issue means that preventing it is necessary since consequences are harder to enforce, or if on the other side, it’s more important to preserve individual freedom to make, and do, and tinker, knowing that some people will misuse that ability and won’t be caught, with real potential consequences for people around them.
I tend to lean more towards the latter, but I think the former absolutely has merits and can empathetise with that perspective. (we’re all but product of our social conditioning lol, how very American of me)
I definitely agree about consequences. That’s a really simple one you do shit that can get people hurt and you should get in trouble for it, idealy before someone does actually get hurt.
In cars, if horsepower was measured to be a determining factor in being allowed to buy one, then that’d be the peak power, so it’s weird to go by rated power in watts for usage rather than the peak power output on e-bikes. Generally the most productive way to measure “power” is power-to-weight-ratio anyway.
To play devils advocate a bit, cars do require formal licensing, and because everyone has one, the government has more reason to invest infrastructure into their oversight. But on the flip side, they’re also about a million times more dangerous. Here in the US the government generally wants to be as “hands off” as possible, but I know that’s not the same in other parts of the world so I’m sure I look at things a bit differently than you do on account of being American.
And do companies actually sell high power e-bikes? My understanding has generally been that folks modify them. You can buy a super car from the factory, but both cars and bikes have the potential for “hot-rodding” and performance tuning, which does feel like it complcates preemptive oversight like regulations.
Personally I also really enjoy people being able to hack on, customize and tune the tech and machines that are part of their lives. The big problem is how you operate the vehicle, but there’s strong argument to be made either way whether the scale of the issue means that preventing it is necessary since consequences are harder to enforce, or if on the other side, it’s more important to preserve individual freedom to make, and do, and tinker, knowing that some people will misuse that ability and won’t be caught, with real potential consequences for people around them.
I tend to lean more towards the latter, but I think the former absolutely has merits and can empathetise with that perspective. (we’re all but product of our social conditioning lol, how very American of me)
I definitely agree about consequences. That’s a really simple one you do shit that can get people hurt and you should get in trouble for it, idealy before someone does actually get hurt.
I agree with your horsepower argument, that’s what I’m saying too, the rated power limit means nothing.
You can buy an ebike in the EU that is configured to be compliant with the EU, so throttle disabled, 25 kmh pedal assist limit.
Then turn the limiter off by long pressing two buttons, no tools, 30 seconds, and the bike does 60 kmh on throttle alone.