Amazon’s recent decision to stop selling high-speed electric motorcycles (e-motos) in California marks a significant shift in how major retailers, and the broader market, are responding to the growing safety and regulatory challenges surrounding e-motos. The move comes after a series of high-profile incidents, including the tragic death of an 81-year-old man in Orange County after being struck by a teenager riding an illegal e-moto. Amazon’s decision also follows a recent consumer alert issued by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and several district attorneys clarifying that many vehicles being marketed as e-bikes do not meet legal definitions and are, in fact, mopeds or motorcycles subject to stricter requirements. PeopleForBikes commends the leadership of California Attorney General Rob Bonta in addressing the sale of electric vehicles marketed as e-bikes that exceed the legal speed or power limits set by both federal and California law. We also recognize Amazon for moving quickly to align its marketplace with these laws.

This development underscores PeopleForBikes’ leadership to better define and regulate e-motos and their sellers. In recent years, PeopleForBikes has worked closely with policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels to help clarify the distinction between electric bicycles and higher-powered e-motos, supporting consistent definitions that protect the integrity of the three-class system. Through this ongoing engagement, PeopleForBikes helped elevate the issue across jurisdictions and ensure that emerging policies are grounded in safety, clarity, and real-world use.

The deceptive blurring of lines between compliant electric bicycles and high-powered e-motos is creating real safety risks and reputational challenges for electric bicycles. The consumer alert explicitly called out the mislabeling of products, noting that vehicles exceeding 20 mph via throttle or 28 mph via pedal assist fall outside the definition of an e-bike. These e-moto products are often marketed as legal for younger riders to use on the street, when they are actually subject to motor vehicle requirements including registration, operator licensing, and insurance. With injuries and fatalities from e-moto crashes rising sharply, the urgency to address this issue has reached a critical tipping point.

Amazon’s action is an important signal that the market is beginning to correct and it raises the stakes for manufacturers who are marketing and selling e-motos. Retailers, manufacturers, and marketplaces now face increased scrutiny around product compliance, labeling, and consumer education. This is a clear opportunity for the bicycle industry to reinforce the integrity of the three-class system, differentiate compliant products from illegal ones, and advocate for stronger enforcement of existing laws. It also highlights the importance of working collectively — across industry, policymakers, and enforcement agencies — to ensure the market for safe, legal e-bikes can continue to grow without being undermined by non-compliant vehicles.

Electric bicycles deliver enormous benefits for mobility, sustainability, and access in communities across the country, but those gains are at risk if the market continues to be flooded with e-moto products that do not meet basic safety and regulatory standards. Amazon’s decision is a step in the right direction. As the bicycle industry, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to build on this momentum and ensure a safer, clearer path forward. PeopleForBikes looks forward to continuing to work with states, attorneys general, and retailers to build on this momentum and advance clear, consistent standards so consumers can trust that any product sold as an e-bike truly meets that definition.