Tag Archive: ZIV

  1. Last Chance: Sign the Open Letter Before ZIV’s Proposal Destroys Your EPACs or EPAC Components

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    The German bicycle industry association, ZIV, has published a position paper, “E-bikes – Active Mobility as Success Factor”, that supposedly aims to protect the legal status of electrically power-assisted cycles (EPACs) by keeping them out of the type-approval system in Regulation 168/2013. If ZIV’s proposals were ever adopted, a large share of the EPACs that are currently excluded from Regulation 168/2013 would actually be pushed into that ill-suited and expensive legal framework. That would destroy a large part of the EPAC market. Will your EPACs or EPAC components survive the ZIV proposal?

    At the moment, all EPACs with a maximum continuous rated power of 250 W and motor assistance up to 25 km/h, provided the rider is pedaling, are excluded from Regulation 168/2013 under Article 2.2(h). As a result, they fall under the Machinery Directive. In the meantime, the sector has developed European standards to help manufacturers comply with that Machinery Directive framework: EN 15194, EN 17404, and the EN 17860 series. Under this system, which allows self-certification, millions of EPACs have been placed on the market. Under the type-approval system, in category L1e-A for EPACs with a maximum continuous rated power of 1 kW and motor assistance up to 25 km/h, not a single bicycle has been brought to market, because the legal framework of Regulation 168/2013—written for mopeds and motorcycles—is unsuitable and far too expensive for EPACs.

    However, ZIV proposes to add several technical requirements to the current exclusion of EPACs from Regulation 168/2013. On top of the existing maximum continuous power and speed limit, ZIV proposes the following:

    • A limit on motor assistance to a maximum of four times the power the rider produces themselves. So if you cannot produce enough power to get the motor’s needed help to move the EPAC—for example because you are not physically strong enough or because the terrain is too hilly—your access to EPACs will be severely restricted. In other words, access to EPACs for physically weaker people is put at risk. The use of cargo EPACs in non-flat areas is also jeopardized.
    • A limit on peak power to 750 W. Peak power means the highest power the motor can deliver for a brief moment, for example to accelerate or, again, to get up a hill. Current law does not impose a limit on that power. This proposal would also restrict access to EPACs to those who are physically strong enough to pedal the EPAC forward on their own.
    • Finally, ZIV also wants to limit the weight of EPACs that are excluded from Regulation 168/2013: to 250 kg for single-track and to 300 kg for multi-track. As a result, almost all cargo EPACs for logistic purposes would fall under type approval.

    Conclusion: a large share of the EPACs that can currently be built according to European standards and self-certification would end up under Regulation 168/2013 and type approval. This legislation consists of 1,032 pages of technical requirements and associated tests. The vehicle type must be approved by an accredited test house—of which there are only a handful in Europe. When anything on the vehicle type is changed, there is a good chance that type approval will have to be performed again.

    That is exactly why no vehicles are approved in L1e-A. All EPACs that would be pushed into type approval by the ZIV proposal are therefore as good as doomed. On top of that, most Member States do not grant L1e-A the same conditions of use as EPACs under the Machinery Directive. They would no longer be allowed on the road under the same rules as conventional bicycles, and there is a real risk they would be subjected to helmet requirements, driver’s licenses, insurance, and more.

    ZIV is already trying to make this proposal a reality. In CEN/TC 333, the European committee where EPAC standards are developed, ZIV is continuously pushing for a new standard with so-called performance requirements for EPACs, with maximum assistance ratio and peak power as the main elements. Together with its members, LEVA-EU is systematically filing objections in TC 333 against such a standard. If that standard were ever formally put on the table, ZIV would then have a perfect argument to get those same parameters added to Article 2.2(h) of Regulation 168/2013. That would mean only EPACs would be excluded that have:

    • a maximum continuous rated power of 250 W, and
    • pedal assistance up to 25 km/h, and
    • a maximum assistance ratio of 4, and
    • a peak power of 750 W, and
    • a weight up to 250 kg for 2-wheel EPACs or 300 kg for EPACs with 3 or more wheels.

    This would immediately push a large part of EPACs and their components into type approval—and ultimately out of the market. So ZIV’s proposal, which supposedly is meant to protect the status of the EPAC, would in reality destroy a significant portion of EPACs, their components, and the businesses behind all of this.

    Last Chance to Act

    LEVA-EU will close this initiative this week and send the open letter to policymakers. This is your final opportunity to sign and make your voice heard.

    Read and sign the full open letter below. Then, go one step further: share it with your colleagues, partners, and networks.

    Do not let Europe become the desert of light electric mobility innovations.

    Read and sign the full open letter here. Then, go one step further: share it with your colleagues, partner, and networks.

    LEVA-EU Open Letter on ZIV PositionDownload

    Stand with LEVA-EU. Sign the open letter.
    Please note that when you sign, your name, company/organisation and your job title will be published

  2. Berlin Study on EPAC Regulation Shows Clear Bias Towards Status Quo

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    The recently released Kurz-Studie on Electrically Power Assisted cycles (EPACs), published by the Zentrum Nachhaltige Transformation (zNT Berlin), presents itself as an objective contribution to the mobility debate. A closer look, however, reveals that the study is biased towards preserving the current legal framework and fails to address some of the most urgent regulatory challenges facing Europe’s mobility transition.

    From the outset, the study narrows its scope by equating EPACs almost exclusively with conventional two-wheeled bicycles (2wheels) limited to 25 km/h and 250 watts. Other important EPAC categories, such as cargo bikes or inclusive vehicles for people with disabilities, are barely mentioned. This narrow perspective sidelines precisely those vehicle types that could make the greatest contribution to sustainable urban logistics and inclusive mobility solutions.

    Equally striking is the absence of any discussion of technical neutrality. Regulation 168/2013 has created a distorted situation in which vehicles with similar performance as EPACs are regulated differently depending on technical details such as throttle control or maximum continuous rated power. This breach of neutrality is one of the key barriers to fair regulation in the light electric vehicle sector, yet the study ignores it completely. As a result, the analysis paints a misleadingly positive picture of the existing framework, without acknowledging how many vehicles are effectively locked out of the market.

    This lack of perspective is particularly apparent when considering innovation. While the study celebrates the success of the EPAC market under current rules, it does not mention the many vehicle types that have been stifled by the system. Heavy-duty cargo bikes, EPACs designed for (very) hilly terrain or adaptive solutions for mobility-impaired users are all subject to regulatory burdens that obstruct their market entry and uptake. A true assessment of the framework should weigh both the successes it has enabled and the opportunities it has prevented. Instead, the study only tells half the story.

    The bias becomes even clearer in its treatment of industry positions. LEVA-EU’s proposals for reform, such as abolishing the arbitrary and senseless 250W limit or creating a new, fairer legislation for light electric vehicles, are described as risky, theoretical or destabilising. With that, the study ignores the fact that LEVA-EU’s proposals have been recommended by the Expert Group on Urban Mobility to the European Commission. By contrast, the proposals of the Zweirad-Industrie-Verband (ZIV) are framed as pragmatic and stabilising. This rhetorical imbalance conceals the fact that the ZIV’s suggestions—such as additional limits on weight, power and support ratios—would in practice push many EPACs into Regulation 168/2013.

    This would result in type approval requirements, with the accompanying terms of use that are not adapted to the vehicles such as no access to bicycle traffic rules, helmet obligations, motor vehicle insurance obligations, etc. Such a shift would devastate large parts of the market. None of this is acknowledged in the study.

    Finally, the study leans heavily on the results of a Civey user survey, which finds that most current EPAC owners are satisfied with their Electrically Power Assisted Bicycles and see little need for change. While this finding is unsurprising, it is also limited. Surveys of today’s users naturally reflect the bulk of the existing market, but they say nothing about the untapped demand for vehicle categories that are currently limited or excluded by Regulation 168/2013. Presenting these results as evidence for regulatory stagnation misses the wider picture.

    Europe’s mobility transition cannot be achieved by freezing outdated definitions in law. A regulatory framework that is truly fair and future-proof must be based on technical neutrality, must enable innovation, and must ensure that the full diversity of EPACs and light electric vehicles can reach the market. This conclusion is also supported by the conclusions of the LEV4Climate study conducted by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and commissioned by LEVA-EU. The study demonstrated that light electric vehicles have significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and replace car trips—potential that can only be realised if legislation allows a broad spectrum of LEVs onto the market rather than restricting them to narrow, outdated categories. Protecting the status quo may serve the interests of incumbent industry players, but it undermines the broader goals of sustainability, innovation and inclusivity.

    Annick Roetynck, LEVA-EU Managing Director, concludes: “Europe’s mobility transition cannot succeed by freezing yesterday’s definitions in law. We need a regulatory framework that is fair, technically neutral, and future-proof—one that enables the full diversity of EPACs and LEVs to reach the market.”

  3. Help Stop ZIV’s Attack on Light Electric Mobility: Sign and Share LEVA-EU’s Open Letter

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    LEVA-EU has issued an open letter, addressed to ZIV, CONEBI, and the European Commission, warning that the ZIV proposal for more requirements on Electrically Power Assisted Cycles (EPACs) would cripple innovation, accessibility, and sustainability in Europe’s light electric mobility sector.

    The open letter, see below – now open for signatures from companies, researchers, users, and associations across the LEV community – calls on the two trade associations and on the European institution to reject ZIV’s proposal and instead work with stakeholders on a dedicated, technology-neutral LEV Regulation.

    What’s in ZIV’s Proposal?

    On 7 April 2025, ZIV published its position paper “E-bikes – Active Mobility as Success Factor”. Behind the polished language lies a restrictive agenda: arbitrary technical limits on EPACs, including:

    • maximum assistance ratios
    • peak power caps
    • vehicle weight limits

    If enacted, these rules would force countless Electrically Power Assisted Cycles (EPACs) into the L-category type-approval system under Regulation 168/2013 — a costly, outdated, and unsuitable regime.

    Why We Wrote the Open Letter

    In the letter, LEVA-EU and co-signatories warn that this proposal would:

    • Eliminate entire categories of LEVs crucial for logistics, inclusivity, and sustainable transport.
    • Discriminate against elderly, disabled, and physically weaker users, restricting their access to essential mobility.
    • Protect incumbent interests while penalising innovators and start-ups.
    • Undermine the EU’s Green Deal and climate goals, limiting the modal shift potential of LEVs.

    The open letter stresses: “Do not let Europe become the desert of light electric mobility innovations.”

    A Structural Problem Needs a Structural Fix

    The letter also highlights the legal flaw in EU rules: the split between Regulation 168/2013 and the Machinery Directive, both inadequate for Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs).

    Today, nearly identical vehicles face radically different rules, one example:

    • a 250W EPAC escapes type-approval,
    • while that same EPAC with 300W must undergo expensive and unsuitable testing.

    This violates the principle of technology neutrality enshrined in EU law. Instead of correcting this, ZIV’s proposal would make the situation worse.

    The Call: A Dedicated LEV Regulation

    The open letter urges all addressees the European Commission to brush asise ZIV’s restrictions and instead work with the LEV community to establish a dedicated LEV Regulation — a fair, proportionate, and future-proof framework that supports innovation, accessibility, and Europe’s climate goals. This is more than a policy debate. It is a defining moment: will Europe lead the world in clean, inclusive mobility, or will it allow protectionism and outdated rules to hold us back?

    Join the Movement – and Mobilise Others

    Read and sign the full open letter below.

    Then, go one step further: share it with your colleagues, partners, and networks. Every signature strengthens our message to policymakers that Europe’s future in light electric mobility cannot be sacrificed to outdated rules and protectionist agendas.

    Together, we can stop ZIV’s attack on light electric mobility.

    Read and sign the full open letter here.

    LEVA-EU Open Letter on ZIV PositionDownload

    Stand with LEVA-EU. Sign the open letter.
    Please note that when you sign, your name, company/organisation and your job title will be published

  4. More e-bikes sold than standard bicycles for the first time in Germany

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    Source: ZIV

    German bicycle industry association, ZIV, has recently presented positive findings from its 2023 report on the German bicycle market.

    ZIV’s CEO Burkhard Stork has highlighted great results for the German industry, despite the region experiencing a negative consumer climate, “Despite the current economic situation, bicycles and e-bikes remain very popular among consumers.”

    Bicycle sales and production levels high, with e-bikes leading the charge

    ZIV has reported that German bicycle production and sales figures have once again reached very high levels in 2023, similar to those of 2020, when COVID-19 effects prompted a surge in bicycle popularity. Notably, report findings reveal that e-bikes are driving the industry for most product categories, and have overtaken standard bicycle sales for the first time ever; with electric bikes holding a 53% share of the market (with sales of 2.1 million), and non-electric bicycles accounting for 43% of sales (1.9 million units sold). In 2022 the conventional bicycle occupied 52% of sales with e-bikes trailing at 48%.

    High bicycle demand in Germany reflected by sales figures

    Sales figures for bicycles (electric and non-electric) remained at the considerably high amount of €7.06 billion for last year. “Overall, the market data shows very clearly that people in Germany greatly value cycling in everyday life and recreation, along with the associated high-quality products,” says ZIV CEO Burkhard Stork. That data shows that although Germany experienced a difficult 2023 consumer climate, German citizens still recognised the need for high-quality, innovative bicycle technology from retail specialists, with schemes such as employer bicycle leasing also being a popular purchasing solution in Germany’s economic context.

    ZIV predicts a positive outlook for Germany’s bicycle industry

    ZIV CEO Burkhard Stork believes that economic, environmental and health benefits will continue to boost bicycle demand in Germany, saying: “The rising mobility, energy, rent and living costs, coupled with a growing environmental and health awareness, are conditions that boost the popularity of bicycles and e-bikes – both now and undoubtedly also in the future. Policymakers mustn’t forget bicycles and must finally fully recognise their potential.”