The 22 pounds 12 mph vehicle, after making a successful yet controversial entry in the transport industry of USA and many European countries have now received a clean chit from the German government also.
While already in plans for some time now, the German Cabinet has finally paved the way to make e scooters enter and become a major contributor to the country’s transport economy.
The German Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer has announced that now the country will now officially welcome e scooters in its list of vehicles running in the German streets, bike lanes, and sidewalks.
What Does the Regulation Entail?
Under the new German law, small electrical vehicles will now be allowed to run on public roads. SEVs are mainly lightweight vehicles having electric motors. Till now, it was completely forbidden to use SEVs in Germany, with Segways being an exception.
In order to be applicable under the new law, the SEVs should –
- It should be driven by an electric power
- It should have a handlebar
- It should not weigh more than around 55 kgs
- It should be designed for reaching 6 kph minimum speed and 20 kph maximum speed.
- The law makes a clear distinction between vehicles minus a seat and self-balancing vehicles (with or minus a seat). These vehicles should have a motor consumption of 1400 watts and all the other vehicles should be a minimum of 500 watts.
What Are the Usage Rules?
All the SEVs irrespective of their maximum speed should be allowed in the bike lanes. The drivers need not have a license, but they should be at least 14 years old to drive the vehicle on German roads.
What Are the Points of Consideration for Manufacturers and Rental Companies?
The regulation that will now have a great impact on the rise in demand for eScooter app development companies will now enable more entrepreneurs to adopt this new business model. As for the eScooter vehicles’ manufacturers, they will have to fit in certain criteria to fall under the law –
- The SEVs which are allowed to run on the road must belong to a vehicle class that is given the general operating license that has been granted by the German Road Traffic Licensing Regulation.
- To qualify for the general operating license, the vehicle should be in compliance with multiple safety requirements around brakes, lights, bells, driving dynamics, and the electrical safety.
- The vehicle must also carry the factory plate which indicates the maximum speed limit and the license number of the general operating license.
- Lastly, the SEV must have an insurance plate.
The rules that apply for Rental companies include:
- The scooter rental businesses must include all the customer obligation towards the general code of conduct in their TnC section.
- The providers should also mention whether they wish to allow minors use the service or if they require signed agreements from parents.
What this move means for the eScooter industry as a whole is that the domain is now going to flourish to a level that was projected when the first scooter was launched. Let us help you make the most of this new expansion that is now starting at the domain.
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