Modes of Transportation

On an Electric Bike

What is an electric bike?

Officially called “power-assisted bicycles,” electric bikes (or “e-bikes”) are equipped with:

an electric motor (but not a gasoline motor) powered by a rechargeable battery
handlebars and pedals
2 or 3 wheels that touch the ground

At all times, the electric bike must allow the rider to pedal as though on a regular bike without electric assistance. The electric assistance may be activated by the pedals or accelerator control. To be able to travel on public roadways, the bike’s electric motor must have a maximum power rating of no more than 500 watts and must cease to generate power once the bicycle reaches a speed of no more than 32 km/h.

The Highway Safety Code sets out specific rules that apply to those who operate electric bikes, including the obligation to wear a bike helmet.

Wearing a helmet that meets standards is mandatory

The Protective Helmets Regulation requires the helmets to be made of a rigid shell with a padded interior and be equipped with a chin strap.

In addition to being illegal, a helmet that does not meet one of these standards could fail to give you adequate protection.

When choosing a helmet, make sure that it meets one or more of the following standards:

CAN/CSA-D113.2 (Canadian Standards Association)
16 CFR Part 1203 (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
ASTM F1447 or ASTM F1898 (American Society for Testing and Materials)
EN 1078 (European Committee for Standardization)
B-90 and B-95 (Snell Memorial Foundation)

Electric bikes and helmets: you could be fined!

If you do not comply with the rules set out in the Highway Safety Code, you could be fined between $60 and $100.

Adjusting your helmet

A poorly adjusted helmet, even if it meets safety standards, will not provide optimal protection for your head in an accident. Head injuries can be fatal. Make sure you adjust your helmet properly.

Electric bike accessories

Electric bike accessories must comply with the Highway Safety Code, particularly with respect to reflectors and lights.

Riding an electric bike on public roadways

You must obey the rules⁠ ⁠ that apply to all cyclists, including the Highway Safety Code and the obligation to wear a helmet.
You must adopt safe practices⁠ ⁠, including riding safely and at a reasonable speed.
You may cycle on all public roadways, except on highways and their access and exit ramps.
Electric bikes cannot be registered.

In the event of an accident

Injuries sustained in an accident involving an electric bike (or a motor-equipped bicycle or tricycle) are not covered by the public automobile insurance plan, unless the accident involves a moving vehicle that is covered by the plan.

Minimum age for riding an electric bike

You must be aged 18 or older to ride an electric bike.

However, people aged 14 to 17 who hold a Class 6D (moped or scooter) licence are also authorized to ride an electric bike.

Bikes equipped with combustion engines are prohibited

Operating a bicycle equipped with a combustion engine (such as a gasoline engine) on the road network or on bikeways is prohibited.

Adding such an engine converts the bicycle into a hand-crafted A 2- or 3-wheel passenger vehicle equipped with an electric motor or a gasoline-powered engine with a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cc and an automatic transmission. or into a hand-crafted Passenger vehicle, other than a power-assisted bicycle, having two or three wheels that has at least one characteristic different from the characteristics of a moped..

The Highway Safety Code prohibits such conversions.

Differences Between Electric Bikes and Electric Mopeds and Scooters

There may be some confusion between electric mopeds and scooters and electric bikes.

Electric mopeds and scooters are road vehicles that must be registered, whereas electric bikes cannot be.

Electric bikes must meet the following criteria in order to be operated on public roadways:

They must be considered a bicycle.
Their maximum power is 500 W or less.
The electric motor must cease to generate power once the bicycle reaches a speed of 32 km/h. This speed can only be exceeded through the cyclist’s muscle power on a flat surface.
They must bear an identification number. Unlike the identification number that appears on road vehicles, this number does not need to be decodable, have 17 characters or comply with Transport Canada Standard 115.

Characteristics of electric mopeds and scooters:

They are considered motor vehicles.
Their maximum power is unlimited (however, the Highway Safety Code⁠ ⁠ prohibits the sale, purchase, lease or trade of components that increase the power of a moped or scooter).
Their maximum speed is 70 km/h or less.
They must bear a Transport Canada compliance label which includes:
- the vehicle identification number (VIN) (the VIN is composed of 17 decodable characters in compliance with Transport Canada Standard 115)
- the manufacturing date
- the vehicle type
They must be built and certified in compliance with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards in order to be operated on public roads.
They must be registered.

Note that mopeds and scooters may be equipped with pedals, and wearing a motorcycle helmet is mandatory when operating them.

Last update: December 23, 2024