Analysis of NC State Law Regarding Electric Bikes
One recent evening I reported to Mint Hill Police a group of electric bike riders who were present in the new Ezell Park. They appeared to be high-powered bikes over 750 watts and without pedals. I spoke with the responding officer who seemed confused about why such bikes were a problem and stated that he believed that as long as they stayed off the roads and operated only on the sidewalks that they were ok and that MHPD has been leaving them alone as a result. I explained that existing state law treats them as essentially unregistered motor vehicles and it would be like if I rode an ATV on the sidewalk, and that such powerful bikes are a hazard to pedestrians and other legal sidewalk users, and indeed I have been struck by one. I was not able to cite the exact statutes though, so I did a deepdive on existing state law and found a confusing mess that may be allowing some to believe that some electric bikes are legal when they in fact are not. Some su...