Power assisted bicycles (e-bikes)

There are two categories of e-bikes permitted:

• A bicycle primarily propelled through pedaling with an auxiliary motor capable of generating no more than 200 watts.
• An electrically power-assisted bicycle (EPAC) with a maximum continuous rated power of 250 watts where the power assistance:
  • is progressively reduced as the travel speed increases above 6 km/h
  • is cut off when a speed of 25 km/h is reached, or the cyclist is not pedaling and the travel speed exceeds 6 km/h.

E-bikes that meet these requirements do not need to be registered and riders do not need to be licenced. The road rules for bicycles apply to these categories of e-bikes.

E-bikes that do not meet these requirements must not be used on public roads.

Other types of power assisted bicycles

Bicycles with petrol-powered motors are only permitted if the bicycle is primarily propelled through pedaling and the motor does not exceed a power output of 200 watts.

Bicycle conversion kits that use petrol motors are likely to exceed 200 watts and therefore not meet this requirement. They may also enable the bicycle to be propelled by the motor without the rider pedaling.

If a petrol-powered bicycle exceeds limit of 200 watts or uses the motor as the primary source of power, it must not be used on roads or road‑related areas such as footpaths and shared paths.

The Vehicle and Traffic (Regulatory Reforms) Amendment Bill 2023 currently before the Tasmanian Parliament proposes to make amendments to the Vehicle and Traffic Act 1999 and Road Rules 2019 to make petrol-powered bicycles illegal to use on roads and road-related areas such as footpaths, shared paths, and cycle ways.

The Bill does not propose any changes to the requirements for e-bikes.