LOUISVILLE, Colo. — E-bike of Colorado sales manager Perry Fletcher said his sales and repair shop saw an increase in back-to-school sales to young riders and families this fall as the popularity of the battery-powered bicycles revs up.
But the kids’ excitement for their new rides is tempered by a recurring question from worried parents: Are they safe?
That can be a difficult question to answer. The federal government’s e-bike regulations are sparse, and efforts to expand them have stalled, leaving states and even counties to fill the void with patchwork rules of their own. Meanwhile, the seemingly endless variety of e-bikes for sale vary in design, speed, and quality.
In that environment, retailers like Fletcher aim to educate consumers so they can make informed decisions.
“We’re super careful about what comes in the shop because there are hazards,” he said.
Federal rules requiring safety standards for batteries in e-bikes and other devices such as e-scooters are in limbo after the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the independent federal regulatory agency meant to protect people against death and injury from bicycles and other consumer products, withdrew proposed regulations in August.
The commission then sent the rules for review by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs inside the Office of Management and Budget, responding to President Donald Trump’s February executive order demanding that independent agencies like the CPSC be more aligned with White House priorities. In May, Trump fired three members of the commission who had been appointed by his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
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