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Time for a red tractor mark for e-bikes?
February 5, 2025
Buying an e-bike should be easy; Pick a model, check the specs, hand over your cash, and off you go. But in Britain, it’s anything but. Instead, you’re met with baffling rules about motor power, speed cut-out limits, and throttles – and that’s if you can even find the right information in the first place.
Online listings are a gamble. E-bikes are supposed to come with a CE mark and a neat little plaque showing the motor power and manufacturer, although that's not always the case. Which means the first time many riders realise their shiny new e-bike isn’t actually legal is when they try to find insurance for an e-bike – and discover that in the eyes of the law, it's a moped.
Isn’t it time we had a simple, trusted certification mark? Think the Red Tractor label on food, but for e-bikes. A stamp that guarantees a bike meets UK Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle (EAPC) regulations – meaning it has pedals, a motor of no more than 250 watts, and power assistance that cuts out at 15.5mph (25km/h). No legal grey areas, no nasty surprises.
This wouldn’t just help buyers. It’d make life easier for insurers, retailers, and even the police, who currently have to deal with the growing number of illegal e-bikes on the roads. Right now, it’s all too easy to end up with what is technically a moped or electric motorbike that requires a licence, insurance, and registration.
Other industries have cracked this problem. The Red Tractor mark reassures shoppers that their food meets certain safety and welfare standards. The CE mark, though widely used, does not provide the same immediate clarity when it comes to e-bike legality. A UK-specific certification, with an easily recognisable logo, and overseen by an independent body, could help clear up uncertainty.
E-bikes are booming. More and more people are turning to them for commuting, leisure, and just getting around without the hassle and expense of a car. But if the government really wants to back this shift to cleaner, greener transport, it needs to step up.
A simple certification mark could help.
Insurance for an e-bike
We cover all road-legal electric bicycles as standard. If the output of your electric bicycle does not exceed 250 W/15.5 mph, we’ll cover it under our cycle insurance at no additional cost.
We also include Cycle Rescue as standard. If your e-bike develops a mechanical fault, you can call on our breakdown team 24/7.
Every cycle insurance policy of ours includes the following as standard:
• Theft, accidental damage & vandalism
• E-bike battery theft cover
• Cycle Rescue (breakdown cover for your electric bicycle and you)
• No devaluation of your bike over time
• £2m third party PLUS £20,000 personal accident cover
• Shed and garage storage
• Low standard excess of 5% (£50 minimum)
Read a full list of everything we include as standard.
The ethical choice
The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.
The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.
Information correct at time of publication.
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