Zip Electric

Yes, electric bikes are legal in the UK. Your confusion may arise because electric scooters currently are not legal (except on private property). With that said, your ebike may need to be registered, taxed and insured. The law right now defines an "electrically assisted pedal cycle" (EAPC) as a bike with a motor that: * is no larger than 250 Watts; * stops providing assistance above 15.5 mph; and * only assists when you are pedalling. If you are 14 years or older, you can ride an EAPC everywhere you can ride a bicycle without a license and without needing to be registered, taxed and insured. However, if your ebike exceeds any of the above, then currently it is viewed as a motorcycle or moped. It will need to be registered, taxed and insured; and you cannot ride in cycle lanes. The Department of Transport is undertaking a Future of Transport Regulatory Review, which is looking at these definitions: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/future-of-transport-programme

No your ebike will not stop you going faster. If you can pedal 45 mph (and congratulations if you can), your ebike will happily let you. What it won't do is help you get to 45 mph. See, ebikes are designed to stop assisting you when you reach 15.5 mph. For most people this is not an issue. Cycling beginners typically cycle at 12 mph over short distances. More experienced cyclists may average 15-16 mph over a good few miles. In summary, ebikes are not meant to propel you faster than you might normally cycle. If you want to go faster than other cyclists, then you should look for a moped or motorcycle.