BILL ANALYSIS �
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2173|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
CONSENT
Bill No: AB 2173
Author: Bradford (D)
Amended: 4/30/14 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE : 10-0, 6/10/14
AYES: DeSaulnier, Gaines, Cannella, Galgiani, Hueso, Lara, Liu,
Pavley, Roth, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Beall
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 5/15/14 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Motorized bicycles
SOURCE : Scoot Networks, Inc.
DIGEST : This bill increases the maximum horsepower allowed
under state law for electric scooters and mopeds from two to
four.
ANALYSIS : Existing law defines a motorized bicycle or moped
as any two-wheeled or three-wheeled device having fully
operative pedals for propulsion by human power, or having no
pedals if powered solely by electrical energy, and an automatic
transmission and a motor which produces less than two gross
brake horsepower, and is capable of propelling the device at a
maximum speed of not more than 30 miles per hour on level
ground.
Existing law prohibits motorized bicycles from being used on
CONTINUED
AB 2173
Page
2
bikeways, unless they are within or adjacent to roadways.
This bill redefines a motorized bicycle or moped under state law
to increase the maximum gross brake horsepower that its motor
produces to less than four.
Background
Horsepower . Gross brake horsepower is "raw" engine horsepower,
not including losses from elements like the drivetrain or
ancillary equipment. The net power of a motorized bicycle,
exerted by tire onto pavement, will be somewhat less than the
gross brake horsepower. Two horsepower, the limit for electric
scooters and mopeds under existing law, equals about 1,500
watts, and four horsepower equals about 3,000 watts. Another
commonly used unit of power is the cubic centimeter (cc). Four
horsepower equals 60 to 70 cc, which is about the power of the
smallest motorcycles or pocket bikes. To appreciate the
significance of these values, by comparison, low-speed electric
bicycles have motors that range from 350 watts to 750 watts.
Thus, doubling the power of the electric scooters considered
here to nearly 3,000 watts would make them four to eight times
as powerful as typical low-speed electric bikes. Because
electric scooters and mopeds are designed to be primarily used
on roadways and shared with motor vehicles, a need for motor
power substantially greater than that of low-speed electric
bicycles seems reasonable.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local:
No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/12/14)
Scoot Networks, Inc. (source)
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the bill's sponsor, Scoot
Networks, Inc., users of its two-horsepower rental electric
scooters have difficulty maintaining safe speeds on hills, and
have difficulty accelerating to keep pace with accelerating
automobile traffic. The sponsor asserts that increasing
horsepower from two to four would increase safety by allowing
operators to maintain speed on hills and accelerate more quickly
when needed in traffic.
CONTINUED
AB 2173
Page
3
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 5/15/14
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Bigelow, Bloom,
Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian
Calderon, Campos, Chau, Ch�vez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley,
Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox,
Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon,
Gorell, Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hern�ndez,
Holden, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal,
Maienschein, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian,
Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, John A. P�rez, V.
Manuel P�rez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas,
Rodriguez, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron,
Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, Yamada, Atkins
NO VOTE RECORDED: Mansoor, Vacancy
JA:k 6/12/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****
CONTINUED