Road rules and safety

Electric bikes

You can ride electric bicycles in Victoria, but you must follow certain rules.

Follow bicycle road rules

Electric bicycles don't need to be registered, provided they meet legal requirements.

Electric bicycle riders don't need to have a driver's licence and must follow bicycle road rules.

Bicycles with motors that do not meet the requirements can be defined as motorcycles. Different rules apply to these vehicles.

Electric bicycle requirements

Motorised bicycles are similar to regular bicycles, except they have a motor.

Electric bicycles are a type of motorised bicycle, equipped with an electric motor.

They can be used as a regular bicycle without using the motor (i.e. by pedalling), or with the motor providing assistance to the rider.

Electric bicycles may be ridden in Victoria as regular bicycles as long as they meet one of the following conditions.

Electric bicycle conditionDetail
It is an electrically power-assisted cycle (EPAC)

An EPAC is a specific type of electric bike. It has:

  • at least one auxiliary propulsion motor
  • a maximum continued rated power of 250 watts
  • a motor that provides power assistance when the rider is pedalling and the bicycle is travelling between 6km/h and 25km/h
  • a motor that does not provide power at speeds higher than 25km/h.
It has limited power outputIt must produce a combined maximum ungoverned continuous rated power output of 200 watts or less.

Your bicycle may be a motorcycle

Your motorised bicycle cannot be defined as a bicycle if it meets one of these conditions:

  • It can't be used by pedalling only (with no help from a motor).
  • It has a combined output of more than 200w (excluding EPAC bicycles).

Instead it would be defined as a motorcycle.

These vehicles also fall under the definition of a motorcycle:

  • An EPAC that has been modified to provide more than 250 watts or exceed 25km/h assisted speed.
  • High-powered bicycles designed for off-road use that have motors exceeding 200 watts or 250 watts for EPACs
  • Motorcycle scooters with pedals.

What motorcyclists must do

If you're riding a motorcycle on Victoria's road network, you must:

Rules for electric and motorised bicycles

The rules for hook turns are in Part 4 of the Road Safety Road Rules 2017.

  • Definition of a bicycle - Victoria Government Gazette
  • Rule 35 - Optional hook turn by a rider of a bicycle or an electric
    scooter
  • Rule 36 - Rider of bicycle or electric scooter making a hook turn
    contrary to no hook turn by bicycles sign
  • Part 19 - Exemptions (rules 305-313B)