Folks, I thought when I opened MPG Motors we would at least be able to offer an electric scooter.
EgoVehicles (http://www.egovehicles.com) has two interesting electric scooters.
However, they have not registered as a vehicle manufacturer in Pennsylvania and consequently, as a licensed PA motorcycle dealership, we can’t sell their products. Nor, have we found another brand of electric scooters that has completed the required registrations in PA.
If you see one, please let us know!
Now electric scooters are different from electric bicycles. Electric scooters are not necessarily illegal in PA. They actually can be legal as long as a manufacturer of an DOT/EPA approved electric scooter completes the Pennsylvania State registration process. This vehicle would be registered in one of these categories as a motor vehicle in PA as defined in this document:
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/fact_sheets/fs-momo.pdf
This covers, at a high level, mopeds, motor-driven cycles and motorcycles. These are the classes of vehicles we have sold here. We have sold the Whizzer (a moped) and many motor-driven cycles and motorcycles.
Our experience with building a hybrid electric bicycle in 2004 showed us that we have plenty of roads in this area where an electric bicycle would work.
An electric bicycle from a Federal perspective, when designed to operate within certain restrictions, is an electric bicycle and not a motor vehicle. This Public Law was signed in 2002 creating this rule
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=107_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ319.107
So, products like those offered by IZip (http://www.izipusa.com/) would seem to be allowed across the US. People that wouldn’t consider ever riding a scooter or motorcycle (they are out there!) might consider an E-Bike. States however, have the ability to further restrict the types of vehicles used on their roads and that is what occurs in Pennsylvania.
Some time ago, I approached Pennsylvania State Senator Greenleaf and in 2006 I asked my representative, Senator Chuck McIllhinney to get a reading on E-Bikes for us. I also later contacted Governor Rendell’s office. Both McIllhinney’s office and the state confirmed that E-Bikes are, in fact, currently illegal for us in Pennsylvania.
Remember, I like to ride big, fast motorcycles too! But in the middle of my town, Doylestown, you can’t go that fast and that is where an E-Bike makes a lot of sense. There are many towns with low speed roads just like Doylestown in SE Pennsylvania. Not that many people are riding scooters or motorcycles yet – we’re working on that! But, most people will use a car instead. When most people jump in cars to get from here to there – even when “there” is a mile away, it just clogs up the roads.
MPG Motors would like to see Pennsylvania law modified to allow electric bikes (E-Bikes). We have followed this about as far as we can for now but I would encourage anyone interested to contact their state representatives to move the ball forward. We know they work, we built one and tested it. But we’re not going to sell you one until we know you won’t get in trouble riding it!
