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ABOUT EMMO RULES and REGULATIONS
of riding an e-bike
According to Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (MVSR). A
qualied e-bike (dened as Power Assist Bicycle) must meet following
requirements:
• The e-bike must have operable pedals
• Upper wattage limit for the motor is 500W.
• Maximum speed of an e-bike is 32km/h.
Other requirements include a permanently axed compliance label from
the manufacturer stating that the vehicle is a power-assisted bicycle un-
der statutory requirements in force at the time of manufacture. Currently,
there is no license, no insurance and no vehicle registration required to
operate a qualied e-bike according to federal legislation. E-Bike riders
share the same rights and responsibilities as other road users.
However, provinces and local municipalities have the power to restrict
the use of e-bikes. Most provinces require the rider to wear a helmet.
Some provinces have special requirements with regard to the age limit
to operate an e-bike, the type of helmet required, even the number of
wheels and wheel size. In Ontario, typically, e-bikes are generally treated
the same as regular bicycles. According to the Ministry of Transportation
of Ontario (MTO), the age limit to operate an e-bike is 16 years old and
above; the maximum weight of the bike is 120 kilograms (265 pounds);
the bike must have a brake distance of less than 9 meters; Any modica-
tions made to the bike’s motor to create speeds greater than 32km/h are
prohibited.
As the rules and regulations are subject to changes in dierent provinces
and municipalities. Please check your municipal bylaw and see where
you stand.