NEWS

Spain: From 2026 onwards, electric scooters and other light vehicles will have to be officially registered and insured. This does not apply to standard electric bicycles with a maximum of 250 watts and assistance up to 25 km per hour, which continue to be treated as regular bicycles. E-bikes with higher power, higher assisted speed or a throttle are considered mopeds and must be registered and insured. The basic rules are national, but cities and regions such as Andalusia and Valencia add their own requirements regarding where you may ride and which safety equipment is mandatory. The main differences lie in local implementation, not in national law.

Belgium follows the same limit. An electric bicycle up to 250 watts with assistance up to 25 km per hour remains a normal bicycle without licence plate or insurance. Speed pedelecs and more powerful e-bikes are classified as mopeds and require a licence plate, insurance and sometimes a driving licence. Electric scooters, depending on type and speed, fall under bicycle or moped rules. There is no separate tax specifically for e-bikes above 250 watts. Obligations simply follow the vehicle category.

European rules form the basis. An e-bike that delivers up to 250 watts and stops assisting at 25 km per hour is considered a bicycle. Anything more powerful or faster falls under motor vehicle regulations, which require insurance and registration by the member states. The EU is mainly working on clearer insurance rules for light electric vehicles, but practical implementation remains a national responsibility.