Certain pedelecs could soon be banned

E-bikes are all the rage in Germany. More and more people are buying a pedelec so that they can ride longer distances and on inclines with a tailwind more comfortably. The consumer center now wants to regulate the electrified bicycles and create new laws – for the benefit of the customers, they say.

Consumer advice center: E-bikes without exchangeable batteries are to be abolished

The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations has published a press release, which calls for the pedelec market to be more strictly regulated and new laws to be created. The bottom line is that pedelecs can be used cheaper and longer so that customers save money and e-bikes are not disposable. Therefore, on the one hand, it should be stipulated that customers can replace and read out the battery themselves. This is to eliminate the fear of buying a used vehicle. According to the consumer advice center, there are great reservations when buying a used pedelec, as you cannot determine the condition of the battery. That should change.

That would mean that bicycles with built-in batteries, such as those from VanMoof, could no longer be sold at all. At the same time, companies would have to create ways so that customers can read for themselves what condition the battery is in. According to the survey, e-bike buyers want to drive their expensive vehicle for at least 10 years or more. The batteries usually only last five years, so you would have to buy a new battery at a high price if they were to be sold at all. This is why manufacturers are required to provide spare parts for longer. This is to ensure that spare parts are available for the entire service life of a pedelec – and not just for a few years. This is the only way to really protect the environment. This is why the VZBV calls for pedelecs to be regulated in the EU eco-design. It remains to be seen whether this will happen.

This pedelec has a lot to offer:

Pedelecs can only be afforded by high earners

The survey by the consumer advice center also showed that pedelecs are mostly bought by high earners because of the high prices. Only 6 percent of all respondents with an income of up to 1,500 euros own an e-bike. With a net income of 1,500 to 3,500 euros, it was 46 percent. That is why the consumer advice center wants people with lower incomes to be able to afford pedelecs.