Consumer Reports (CR), the independent, nonprofit member organization, welcomes the opportunity to submit comments to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regarding the risk of injury associated with the mechanical hazards of electric bicycles. We also welcome the opportunity to comment on whether current requirements under 16 CFR Part 1512 are adequate to address the safety of electric bicycles with respect to their mechanical hazards.
In 2023, electric bicycle (e-bike) sales were 238 percent higher than they were in 2019, according to Circana, a market research company. According to a February 2024 Consumer Reports nationally representative survey of 2,035 U.S. adults, 11 percent of Americans have ridden an e-bike over the past year. CR has periodically, for years, tested and rated bicycles for performance. We currently evaluate Class 1 and Class 2 electric bikes. Our e-bike evaluations consider a number of factors including range, acceleration, and overall usability. Regardless of which type of bicycle they ride, consumers should be able to have confidence that their bike has been tested rigorously for safety. From style, to material, to brakes and beyond, bicycles have evolved dramatically since federal safety regulations first took effect. Now, decades later, it is critical for the agency to update its standards to reflect advances in technology. In the following sections, we share CR’s comments on information related to the mechanical hazards of e-bikes that has been requested by the agency.
To read the full comments, click here.