A welcome step; now let’s see enforcement

We are thrilled to see California Attorney General Rob Bonta alert consumers to the difference between legal e-bikes and faster e-motos. Joined in the alert by the district attorneys of Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties, the consumer notice helps draw a clearer line between legal e-bikes and the illegal high-speed electric motorcycles that are too often marketed and sold as if they are the same thing.

That is exactly why CalBike launched our Public Safety First petition in conjunction with the Marin County Bicycle Coalition.

We are calling on district attorneys and Attorney General Bonta to not just talk about but to enforce consumer protection laws against companies selling illegal e-motos as legal e-bikes. 

The attorney general’s recent alert matters because it shows that state and local law enforcement leaders are paying attention to the real problem. A warning alone will not be enough. If California is serious about public safety and protecting access to safe, legal e-bikes, this needs to lead to more action.

Now, California officials should go further by investigating and taking action against the manufacturers and retailers flooding the market with illegal vehicles that create real danger and, in the process, fuel a broader backlash against e-bikes. If you have not already, sign the petition and urge district attorneys and the attorney general to act.