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 get around in traffic, nothing is more practical than a electric scooter or thermal, 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 undergo training 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)
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 are, for example, the Niu NQi Sport 50the Piaggio Onethe Rider 3000where the Super Soco CU-Xbut 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 Big Seat 125, the Super Soco CPx and the Pink Mobility Pink Fly, but also smaller models, 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. . References are becoming more numerous in this segment, with a few examples marketed such 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. Let us mention in particular the BMW CE04 in its unrestricted version, which is equivalent to 400 cc.
What 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;
- Permis A : this license being of a higher category, it also allows the driving of vehicles of category L3e-A1.