Pedelec Law: 250 W, 25 km/h and Walking Assist

Your converted bike stays a bicycle in legal terms as long as it is a pedelec: rated continuous power of at most 250 W, assist only while you pedal, and cut-off at 25 km/h. A walking aid without pedalling is allowed only up to 6 km/h. Anything beyond that is a motor vehicle. This article is orientation, not legal advice, and it follows the German rules.

The limits

All four points must be true at the same time. It is not enough that the label says 250 W.

Rated power is not peak power

What counts is the rated continuous power: the power the motor can deliver continuously. Peak power may be higher for short periods. Many shops advertise exactly that peak, for instance "up to 750 W". So check the data sheet for the figure the kit lists as rated continuous power. If there is none, that is a bad sign. More on the terms in the glossary.

Assist only while pedalling

A pedelec helps only when you pedal. When you stop, the motor must switch off. Depending on the kit, a cadence or torque sensor handles that. A kit that keeps driving without pedalling is not a pedelec.

25 km/h

Assist must end at 25 km/h. For that the kit has to know the speed. Without a speed sensor it cannot keep to 25 km/h (GIGA). The sensor is either a spoke magnet or built into the motor. On Bafang controllers you can check the setting with a programming cable (netzwelt). After installation, check that assist really stops at 25 km/h, and leave the setting alone.

Throttle and walking aid

A throttle is allowed if it works only as a walking aid: without pedalling, up to 6 km/h at most (GIGA). A throttle that drives you at 20 km/h without pedalling does not fit the pedelec rule. Many kits ship with exactly such a throttle. Leave it off, or use it only where it is allowed.

Kits above 250 W

There are kits with 500, 750 or 1,000 W and more. On public roads and cycle paths they are not permitted as pedelecs. For them, private land is what remains. If you want to ride a more powerful system, you need a vehicle with the proper approval, which is a different topic altogether. Type approval, registration, plates or insurance plates and a driving licence then apply. Which class exactly applies is something you clarify with the registration authority.

Insurance and registration in general

A pedelec needs no registration, no plate and no driving licence. A motor vehicle does. After an accident, the question of whether your bike was still a pedelec can quickly become decisive. If it was not, insurance cover may be missing, and you would be riding without compulsory insurance. That is not a minor matter. When in doubt, ask your liability or household insurer and get in writing what applies. Whether your conversion kit comes with a declaration of conformity is a useful hint, but it does not replace your own check.

What you need:

• The kit's data sheet stating rated continuous power
• Proof that assist cuts off at 25 km/h
• No throttle that drives above 6 km/h

What this means for your conversion

Choose a kit that is explicitly described as a 250 W pedelec system, check the cut-off after installation and let the throttle run only as a walking aid. Budget kits without clear specifications are risky. How that affects the price is covered under costs. For how the motors are built, see motor types.

Does a conversion fit your bike?

How reliable is this?

The limits of 250 W, 25 km/h and 6 km/h and the role of the speed sensor come from the linked sources and the current pedelec rule. The notes on insurance and registration are general orientation without legal advice, and in a particular case what the authority and your insurer say is what counts.