Light electric vehicles: vehicle safety, battery fire rules and the city-level requirements that appear after the product is finished.
Light electric vehicles combine a vehicle-level safety assessment with a large lithium battery and a radio (app connectivity). The vehicle standard depends on what the product is: pedal-assist bicycles follow EN 15194, while e-scooters and other personal light electric vehicles follow EN 17128.
Battery fire safety has become the dominant topic for this category - several US cities now legally require certified battery systems before a shared or sold e-bike can hit the street, which turns 'voluntary' UL listings into hard market gates.
| Market | Typical requirements | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | EN 15194 for EPACs (pedal-assist bicycles); EN 17128 for personal light electric vehicles (e-scooters); EMC, RoHS; battery per EU Battery Regulation and UN38.3 for transport | Vehicle classification (and allowed power/speed) drives the standard - classify before testing |
| United States | FCC Part 15 Subpart B for the electronics; UL 2849 (e-bike electrical systems) / UL 2271 (batteries) increasingly required; UN38.3 transport | New York City requires certified battery systems for e-bikes and e-scooters sold there - a de-facto national benchmark |
| Battery & transport | UN38.3 pack tests, cell safety reports, BMS verification | The most common source of shipment holds for this category |
| Radio-equipped models | FCC ID / RED for app connectivity and GPS modules | Treat the vehicle as a radio product if it ships with connectivity |
Bring an e-scooter or e-bike to the US or EU? Send the vehicle spec, battery configuration and radio list - we will classify it, scope the vehicle standard and plan the battery documentation together.
EN 15194 covers EPACs: bicycles with pedal assistance up to the EU's 250 W / 25 km/h classification. Anything without pedals or outside that envelope - the typical e-scooter - falls under EN 17128 for personal light electric vehicles.
Federally no, but New York City legally requires certified electrical systems (UL 2849 / UL 2271 / EN 15194 routes) for e-bikes and e-scooters sold there. Since NYC is one of the largest markets, most brands treat the UL listing as a national requirement.
The combination of a large lithium pack and incomplete transport documentation. UN38.3 at pack level, matching test summaries and correct packaging markings must all line up - one mismatch stops the shipment.