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E-bike classes 1, 2 and 3, in plain words

The class tells you how the motor helps and when it stops. Most states use it to decide where you may ride, whether you need a helmet, and how old you must be.

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026 · How we pick · How we make money

A paved park path curves past trees with a blue bike-route sign on a post Photo: Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0 · modified

The three classes

  1. Class 1Pedal assist only
    20 mph
  2. Class 2Throttle allowed
    20 mph
  3. Class 3Pedal assist only, speedometer
    28 mph

Speed at which the motor stops helping · all classes: motor of 750 W or less

Classes as defined in PeopleForBikes' model law, adopted in some form by most states; the federal product definition uses 750 W and 20 mph on motor power alone.1, 2, 3
  • Class 1: the motor helps only while you pedal and stops helping at 20 mph.1
  • Class 2: the motor can move the bike on its own (a throttle) and stops helping at 20 mph.1
  • Class 3: the motor helps only while you pedal and stops at 28 mph; the bike has a speedometer.1

For all three, the motor is limited to 750 watts, and makers are supposed to put a label on the bike with its class, top assisted speed and motor wattage.1, 2

Where each class may ride (model law)

PeopleForBikes wrote a model law that many states adopted in some form. As of July 2023, it counted 41 states with a three-class law.1 Under the model law:

  • E-bikes may ride where bicycles are allowed: streets, bike lanes and bike or multi-use paths.2
  • A city or agency can close a path to class 1 and 2 e-bikes after notice and a public hearing, for safety reasons, and can close a path to class 3 e-bikes.2
  • Natural-surface trails marked as non-motorized are left to the land manager's rules.2
  • Class 3: no riders under 16 (except as passengers on bikes built for them), and a helmet for every rider and passenger.2
  • No license, registration or insurance, as for a bicycle.1

Your state may differ. The model law is a template, and cities and park agencies add their own rules. PeopleForBikes keeps a spreadsheet comparing state e-bike laws, linked from its policy page.4 When in doubt, read your state's vehicle code or ask your city.

What federal law says

Federal law defines a "low-speed electric bicycle" as a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with working pedals, a motor under 750 watts, and a top speed under 20 mph on motor power alone, for a 170-lb rider on a flat paved surface.3 It treats e-bikes as consumer products under the Consumer Product Safety Commission, not as motor vehicles, and it doesn't override state traffic laws.1

Bikes with a class setting

Many e-bikes let you change the speed cap. Velotric's two-wheelers ship capped at 20 mph and can be set from 12 to 28 mph, with a throttle: Velotric lists them as class 1/2/3.5 Which class you're riding depends on how it's set and used. Exceptions on our list: the T1 ST Plus has no throttle (class 1/3)7, and the Triker is class 1/2, capped at 20 mph.6

10 Velotric models are compared in the fit tool.

Sources (7) · checked Nov 8, 2026
  1. PeopleForBikes: Electric Bicycle Law Basics (primer, July 2023) (July 2023; checked 2026-11-08)
  2. PeopleForBikes: Model electric bicycle legislation (Jan 2020) (Jan 2020; checked 2026-11-08)
  3. 15 U.S.C. § 2085: Low-speed electric bicycles (Cornell LII) (seen 2026-11-08)
  4. PeopleForBikes: Policies and Laws: electric bikes (state law spreadsheet linked here) (seen 2026-11-08)
  5. Velotric: Velotric Discover 3 Ebike, product page and specs (seen 2026-11-08)
  6. Velotric: Velotric Triker, product page, specs and geometry (seen 2026-11-08)
  7. Velotric: Velotric T1 ST Plus, product page and specs (seen 2026-11-08)