Suzhou (PRC), January 30th 2020 – As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of e-bike drive systems, LEVA-EU member Bafang wants to inform their customers about the consequences of an officially ordered business shut-down due to current public health reasons.
Following a governmental statement from the city of Suzhou, all corporations have to keep their offices and production sites closed for another week after the traditional Chinese New Year festivities. “Instead of the usual maximum of 60 days, the delivery of components to OE customers could be extended by a few days”, says Jack Brandsen, Europe General Manager for Bafang. “We expect 65 to 70 days lead time in the upcoming weeks. This is still much shorter than most of our competition.”
This statement only takes into account the current decision situation. Should the authorities in China take further measures and/or extend the current mandatory break for companies, even greater delays in the supply chain cannot be ruled out.
Find here all press releases of LEVA-EU member Bafang
LEVA-EU has a new briefing available on the EU technical rules applying to batteries for light, electric vehicles, i.e. electric bicycles, electric scooters, self-balancing vehicles, electric monowheels, hoverboards, etc.
In the briefing, we explain how battery rules depend on the legal framework that is applicable to the complete vehicle. The regulations for vehicles under type-approval are completely different from the regulations for vehicles under the Machine Directive.
We provide a detailed overview of the requirements resulting from these two frameworks. We focus not only on electric bicycles up to 25 km/h and 250W, but also on electric bicycles in L1e-A and L1e-B (speed pedelecs), on electric mountain bikes, electric cargo bikes, electric scooters, self-balancing vehicles, etc.
2019 was a successful and demanding year for LEVA-EU member Carla Cargo. Even faster than expected they had to scale up production to keep up with the growing demand for their trailers. Another major result is the cooperation with Amazon in New York City. Several hundreds of their cargo trailers, called Carla’s, are now being used by an organic supermarket to supply citizens of New York with organic food.
The Carla’s will not only deliver food but are part of a bigger movement within the big Apple. The city council wants to reduce the numbers of delivery trucks, because of congestion and pollution, especially in densely populated areas such as Manhattan. Cargo bikes and trailers are smaller in size and have a lower environmental impact than trucks. Find out more about the role of Carla Cargo’s trailers in New York in an article of the New York Times
Carla Cargo has recently expanded their dealer network to three major European cities: Amsterdam, Heidelberg and Paris. So you know where to head if you want to test a new Carla can be done here!
We notice a growing number of e-scooters on the market with a saddle. In the majority of cases, these vehicles are being marketed as e-scooters, which would have the same legal status as their counterparts without saddles. This is undeniably incorrect and wrong. Companies that sell e-scooters in this manner are selling illegal products.
Should their customers have an accident with such a vehicle, the company will without any doubt be held liable. However, it doesn’t even have to come to an accident. If the economic inspection knocks on the door, they will more than certainly confiscate the vehicles and take the company to court for their illegal trade practices. Moreover, through the RAPEX system all member states will be informed that the company is selling illegal vehicles, which have been impounded.
E-scooters with a saddle are NOT excluded from Regulation 168/2013 and must therefore be type-approved as an L1e-B moped. As a result, in the national traffic codes, the vehicle will have the status of a moped. Some member states have in their traffic code a separate category for 25 km/h mopeds, for instance in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. In these countries, the vehicles will come under that category provided that their maximum speed is 25 km/h. This means that all the moped rules with reference to helmet use, position on the road, driver’s licence, insurance and minimum age must be complied with.
Some countries have in their traffic code a special category for e-scooters without a saddle but also for self-balancing vehicles, electric hoverboards, electric monowheels, etc. In Belgium for instance, this category is called “propulsion vehicles” (voortbewegingstoestel – engins de déplacement). Their maximum speed should be 25 km/h and they have to follow the same terms of use as conventional bicycles. As a result, there is for instance no helmet obligation, no motor vehicle insurance, no driver’s licence, … The minute that same e-scooter is equipped with a seating position, it is a completely different ball game, since the vehicle comes under the traffic code category “mopeds” with its respective terms of use.
With that it also appears, that a large number of companies who produce, export, import and market e-scooters (without a saddle) in the EU are not well informed about the technical regulations that apply to these vehicles. They, as well as self-balancing vehicles, monowheels, hoverboards, etc. come under the Machinery, RoHS and EMC Directives and this brings about a whole range of technical requirements and administrative obligations.
LEVA-EU has all knowledge and expertise to provide companies who need further information on these rules and regulations with all necessary details. Furthermore, LEVA-EU is in the process of making an overview of national terms of use in the member states.
Since the 1st January 2018, the homologation of unsold L1e vehicles (mopeds and speed pedelecs) type-approved according to Directive 2002/24 has become invalid. As a result, these vehicles could no longer be sold, unless they had been registered for end-of-series in the member state where they were meant to be sold. This procedure be applied for a maximum of 100 vehicles or 10% of the number of vehicles the company had sold in 2016 and 2017 in that member state. Companies were entitled to make use of the highest number, whichever that was.
The end-of-series vehicles had to be registered with the competent authority of the member state. Upon registration, companies were entitled to sell the 2002/24 type-approved vehicles until 31st December 2019.
So, on the last day of this year the end-of-series measures expire and as of 1 January 2020 vehicles type-approved according to Directive 2002/24 may no longer be sold.
Following record-breaking attendance of 320 attendees at ICBR 2019 in Lyon, ICM, the international leader in the organization of battery, automotive and electronics’ recycling conferences is pleased to announce the call for papers for the 25th anniversary of the International Congress for Battery Recycling ICBR 2020 in Salzburg (AT).
ICBR will bring together the international community of experts and decision makers of the entire battery recycling value chain, including battery recyclers and producers, collection organizations, OEM’s, policymakers, materials and service providersand many more.
The conference will offer participants business opportunities through networking and communication on battery recycling including the latest processes under development and industrial processes. Plenary sessions will be complemented by many side events such as round tables, exhibitions, posters presentations in order to open the conference to innovative issues, processes and technologies.
ICBR’s 2020 program will reveal the newest industry research and latest trends and developments in:
Innovation in Emerging Battery Recycling Technologies on a Global Basis
Battery Materials in a Circular Economy
International Perspectives on Extended Producer Responsibility
The EU Batteries Directive Review 2006/66/EC
Lithium Batteries Transport and Safety
Those interested in speaking are invited to send a short abstract (minimum of half an A4 page in English) with their key messages to the congress organizer ICM to: info@icm.ch. The title of the presentation should be mentioned with the author’s name. For further information with more details about the topics please visit: www.icm.ch/icbr-2020
At the University of Ghent in Flanders (UGent), researchers have developed a wearable warning system to improve road safety. Vulnerable road users may wear a bracelet that is warning them when they are moving into a blind spot of trucks or other heavy road vehicles. Truck drivers are also benefitting from this system, because they get a warning signal as well when someone is in their blind spot.
Such a system could be extremely helpful in view of the severity of blind spot accidents. In Belgium for instance, on average 50 fatal blind spot accidents happen every year. What’s more, these accidents are usually extremley severe. Because they mainly occur between trucks and vulnerable road users. 20% of all reported blind spot accidents are fatal while 25% result in severe injuries (Veiligverkeer).
Jo Verhaevert, professor at the UGent engineering faculty, demonstrated the system with some students as they were walking around a truck. When the students entered a blind spot, both driver and students simultaneously got a warning signal, which made them aware of the (potential) dangerous situation.
Apart from safety, there is also the aspect of responsibility. For these types of accidents, the finger is usually pointed at the truck driver. The professor believes that his system may lead to a more shared responsibility. Road users will be more aware and therefore getting a better understanding of each other.
Here is further information on what to do to avoid blind spot accidents.
LEVA-EU has produced a first overview of European incentive schemes for light electric vehicles such as e-bikes, speed pedelec, electric motorcycles and more. By bringing together information for different members states and different types of vehicles, LEVA-EU is providing its members with and easily accessible file on incentive schemes, thus saving them valuable time and resources.
The overview includes a broad ranges of incentives, from tax deductions over compensation for commuting with LEVs to subsidies for purchasing vehicles. Also, all the official links to the incentive schemes are included.
If you have any questions or recommendations regarding European incentive schemes for light electric vehicles, please contact Daan van Dieren, daan@leva-eu.com
To find out more about LEVA-EU and LEVA-EU membership, please contact Annick Roetynck, tel. +32 475 500 588, email annick@leva-eu.com
The newly appointed Flemish government has decided to discontinue a subsidy scheme for so called ‘zero-emission-vehicles’. If you still want to make use of this arrangement, be sure to order a vehicle ultimately on 31th of December 2019. Registering/applying for the subsidy is still possible, if you have an invoice, up to 31th of October 2020.
This subsidy scheme is available for electric mopeds class b (including electric three- and four wheeled vehicles), electric motorcycles and electric vehicles category M1/N1. Vehicles that are not eligible for the scheme are e-bikes, speed pedelecs and electric light moped (class A).
The subsidies are only available for private persons, non-profits organisations, carsharing systems and license holders of taxi services. For additional information about the subsidy scheme, go to the Flemish governemental website (Dutch).
