Are you motivated by the many subsidies and bonuses and planning to buy an electric two-wheeler? Before you start, check the different categories of vehicles and the permits required to avoid unpleasant surprises.
To move around in traffic, nothing is more practical than an electric or thermal scooter, especially since the choice of trendy two-wheelers is only increasing. However, like their thermal counterparts, electric scooters and motorcycles are strictly regulated and some require a very specific license to be driven.
Before letting yourself be tempted by such a machine, it is important to identify if your current license allows you to take the handlebars, or if you will have to pass a training course before riding it. So let’s review the main categories offered on the market and the licenses required to drive them.
The information below is valid for permits in the European format, regardless of the country in which they were obtained. It is advisable in any case to check your license, because certain categories could have been attributed to you by equivalence.
50 cc electric two-wheelers (Category L1e)
The scooters described as 50 cc equivalents, sometimes called mopeds, are those that are often described as urban, since they must not exceed the fateful thresholds of 45 km/h and 4 kW of power. It may seem restrictive, but they are more than enough to get around town and are above all very accessible.
Among them, let’s mention for example the Niu NQi Sport 50, the Piaggio One, the Rider 3000, or the Super Soco CU-X, but also motorcycles such as the Super Soco Wanderer.
Source: Anthony Wonner – Frandroid
What license to drive a 50 cc equivalent electric scooter or motorcycle?
Unlike most other motorcycles and scooters, the 50cc equivalents don’t require a license to speak of. They are accessible from 14 years old with the European category AM, which replaces the BSR. This simply requires 7 hours of training and is exempt from the penalty points system.
Rest assured, who can do more can do less: a license of a higher category, namely the A1, A2, A and B licences, will of course allow you to drive a 50 cc equivalent.
125 cc electric two-wheelers (Category L3e-A1) – Three-wheelers (Category L5e)
Sometimes referred to as light motorcycles, scooters and motorcycles in this category can have engine sizes between 51 and 125 cc, maximum power of 11 kW and a power-to-empty weight ratio of no more than 0.1 kW/kg. In the vast majority of cases, electric scooters and motorcycles in this category will be referred to as 125cc equivalents.
Their main advantage is therefore to offer power and a maximum speed higher than the L1e category, with maximum speeds frequently between 90 and 110 km/h. They also remain accessible because, as we will see below, they do not systematically require a specific permit.
The electric range of 125 cc equivalent two-wheelers is becoming increasingly rich, with in particular excellent references such as the Seat Mó 125, the Super Soco CPx and the Pink Mobility Pink Fly, but also smaller models, at the like the Niu NQi GTS Sport. There are also motorcycles in this category, such as the Super Soco TC Max and the Horwin CR6.
Three-wheeled scooters, officially called “motor tricycles”, also fall into this category, with the difference that their displacement can be greater than 51 cc, with no upper limit, as long as their weight does not exceed 1,000 kg. . The references are more numerous in this segment, with some examples marketed as the Rider 3RS and the Eccity Model 3.
What license to drive a 125 cc equivalent electric scooter or motorcycle?
Vehicles of categories L3e-A1 and L5e remain easily accessible and may sometimes not require an additional permit.
- A1 license : accessible from the age of 16, the A1 license can be issued from 20 hours of training;
- B permit :
- If you did not drive two or three wheels before 2011, you will have to follow the compulsory 7-hour training, accessible from two years of seniority of license B. At the end of this training, a card will attest to the follow-up of this and your driving rights. Be aware, however, that although it is equivalent to category A1 in France, it is not valid in the rest of the world. Thus, your training will not allow you to drive a 125 cc scooter in another country in Europe.
- If you were already driving a two- or three-wheeler before 2011, your B license will suffice for you to drive a vehicle of categories L3e-A1 and L5e, provided you can prove that you have driven a light motorcycle or a three-wheeled scooter between 2006 and 2011 , in particular thanks to an insurance certificate.
- A2 and A permits: A2 and A permits allow you to drive all vehicles of categories L3e-A1 and L5e.
Electric two-wheelers with a power ≤ 35 kW (Category L3e-A2)
Whether we are talking about a motorcycle or a maxi scooter, vehicles in this category are often more powerful and exceed 125 cc. They must, however, have a power of less than 45 kW and a power/empty weight ratio not exceeding 0.2 kW/kg. Although they are powerful and fast, these vehicles require a specific license and are not accessible with simple training. These include the BMW CE04 in its unrestrained version, which is equivalent to 400 cc.
Which license to drive an L3e-A2 two-wheeler?
- A2 license : it is accessible from 18 years old and requires 20 hours of training. It is often considered a gateway to license A, which will only require 7 hours of training and two additional years of driving;
- License A : this license being of a higher category, it also allows the driving of vehicles of category L3e-A1.
Electric two-wheelers with power > 35 kW (Category L3e-A3)
These vehicles are often powerful motorcycles and therefore require a specific license to ensure the experience of the driver. There is no commercial reference in electric for this category, the majority being today thermal motorcycles.
What license to drive an L3e-A3 two-wheeler?
- License A : accessible from the age of 24 and 20 hours of training, license A, also called a motorcycle license, because it allows you to drive all types of two-wheelers, as long as their power does not exceed 100 horsepower.
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