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Welcome back to Freshly Charged! In October, the fight for and against electric micromobility regulation continued in both directions. New Jersey, home of the law that has been emptying bike shops, got a bipartisan bill to walk the hardest part of it back, and Pennsylvania's House voted to make e-scooters legal for the first time. In the same weeks, New York City formally filed its ban on riding Class 3 e-bikes, and police in California and Michigan started hauling e-motos off the street. Add a deadly Bronx fire that put lithium-ion batteries back in the limelight, Accell getting sold for parts, a sneaky-good month for new releases, and we've got plenty to unpack.
New Jersey Wants To Walk Back The Toughest Restrictions
S4830, introduced October 15 by Democratic Senator Raj Mukherji and Republican Senator Michael Testa Jr., starts with a new definition. A "low-speed electric bicycle" would be any pedal-equipped bike with a motor of 750 watts or less that can't top 20 mph on motor power alone. That covers Class 1 and Class 2 bikes, which Bicycle Retailer notes are both capped at 20 mph. According to the sponsor's statement, the bill then strips out the provisions that would require those riders to register their bikes and hold a license.
Class 3 doesn't get the same break. Bikes that keep assisting past 20 mph up to 28 mph would remain "motorized bicycles," along with anything over 750 watts or anything that can exceed 20 mph on the motor alone, and those keep the registration and licensing rules. The bill would also:
- open the state's Unsatisfied Claim and Judgment Fund, which pays victims of uninsured drivers, to people hurt in low-speed e-bike crashes;
- require homeowners and renters policies to cover low-speed e-bikes the same way they cover regular bicycles.
The sponsor's logic is refreshingly simple: a bike that can't outrun a competent cyclist on a regular bicycle shouldn't be regulated like the faster machines the law calls motorized bicycles.
Insurance is the murkiest piece. The bill removes the low-speed e-bike section's cross-references to the current law's insurance mandate, and NJ101.5 reports that qualifying Class 2 bikes would be exempt from insurance requirements. The sponsor's statement, however, only mentions registration and licensing. Mukherji has said the bill would close gaps in insurance coverage, per Bicycle Retailer.
The pressure behind the bill is easy to see. Citing State Judiciary data first reported by NJ.com, NJ101.5 counted 628 e-bike summonses from July 19 through August, including 137 for unregistered bikes and 101 for missing insurance. Bicycle Retailer, citing the National Bicycle Dealers Association, also reports that dozens of the state's bike shops have closed since the law passed. The same piece announced an e-bike demo day at the State House, hosted by Assemblywoman Tennille McCoy and run by Velotric, so lawmakers could feel the difference between a low-speed e-bike and a high-speed machine for themselves. Go Velotric!
None of this is law yet. S4830 is sitting in the Senate Transportation Committee and still has to clear it, pass both chambers and get Governor Mikie Sherrill's signature, per NJ101.5. Still, it's a real attempt to loosen the regime our August roundup led with.
Elsewhere, The Line Moved Both Ways
Pennsylvania went the other way entirely. E-scooters are currently illegal in the commonwealth, and on October 20 the House voted 176-27 to change that.
Rep. Emily Kinkead's HB 1633 would treat scooter riders much like cyclists. Under the bill as amended:
- riders 16 and older could use roads, bike lanes and paths at up to 25 mph;
- anyone under 18 would need a helmet, and sidewalks would be off-limits;
- there would be no title or registration;
- buyers would have to be 18;
- sellers would owe customers a written notice of the rules or face fines of up to $1,000.
Pittsburgh, Scranton and more than 50 other cities could also launch share programs, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. The outlet reports that Kinkead filed the bill after Pittsburgh's micromobility pilot expired and left riders stranded, and that Rep. Jennifer O'Mara added the youth restrictions after 12-year-old Abby Gillon was killed while riding an e-scooter in Aston Township. The bill now sits in the Senate Transportation Committee.
New York City, meanwhile, made its Class 3 riding ban official. Int 1110, from Council Member Crystal Hudson, was introduced October 8. It would ban riding Class 3 e-bikes on streets and in parks, with warnings only until April 1, 2029 and fines after that. Neither it nor Hudson's companion sales ban has had a vote, and our explainer has the full breakdown.
At street level, police started treating e-motos like motorcycles.
- El Cerrito, California. Officers on the Ohlone Greenway looked for foot pegs instead of pedals and had seized at least two machines by 8:35 one Monday morning, citing both riders for operating motorcycles without licenses, SFist reports.
- Bloomfield Township, Michigan. Police impounded six e-motos in a single weekend, five of them from teenagers riding across a pedestrian crossing. They reminded parents that e-motos require insurance, registration, a license and a rider who's at least 18, per WXYZ.
It's a curbside preview of the e-bike and e-moto split California will sign into law January, which we covered in last month's roundup.
Batteries Were Back In The Headlines For The Worst Reason
On October 28, a lithium-ion battery exploded in the kitchen of a Bronx apartment, blocking the exit and trapping a family inside. Four family members died and one was critically injured, according to the FDNY. That same day, Attorney General Letitia James issued a statewide battery-safety alert citing FDNY counts of at least 401 battery fires, 74 injuries and six deaths in 2026 to that point. The FDNY followed with a new PSA urging New Yorkers to:
- charge and store batteries outside wherever possible;
- never block an exit;
- buy only devices certified by a lab like UL.
The fire landed a week after the CPSC held a public hearing on its proposed lithium-ion battery rule for e-bikes and scooters. PeopleForBikes, the National Bicycle Dealers Association, UL Solutions and Consumer Reports were among those who testified, per Bicycle Retailer. PeopleForBikes pushed for adopting existing UL standards without changes and a separate definition for e-motos.
Five days before the hearing, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Chuck Schumer, and Rep. Ritchie Torres sent a letter urging the agency to finish the rule swiftly and make the UL 2271, UL 2849 and UL 2272 standards mandatory. It remains a proposal for now, and we'll have our eyes on it.
Recent injury data is worth discussing, particularly regarding an asterisk behind it. Health-data company Truveta found the e-bike emergency room visit rate climbed from 1.2 to 10.1 per 100,000 between the first eight months of 2023 and the same stretch of 2026, while the rate for regular bikes rose just 7.9%, according to Bicycle Retailer. The same report notes that ER records generally can't separate e-bikes from e-motos. In other words, the numbers driving e-bike crackdowns lump in the very machines those crackdowns are aimed at, lacking technical finesse that would better inform legislation.
The most notable recall in October involved about 1,032 Urban Arrow cargo e-bikes in the US, whose seatpost clamp bolt can break. The CPSC says owners should stop riding them and register for a free replacement seatpost and saddle.
Accell Got Sold For Parts While Scooter Share Made Money
Accell's breakup moved fast. On October 9, Dutch trustees sold the rights to Batavus, Koga and Babboe, along with Accell's Hungarian operations, to Singapore-based Dutech, which already owns German brands Kreidler and Prophete, NL Times reports. Escape Collective says the deal also included Carqon, Loekie and XLC.
On October 15, the trustees announced that Tenways had bought Sparta's trademark and production documentation for selected models, per Tour. On October 29, a Dutech-group company signed an agreement to buy Haibike and Winora, a deal Bike Magazin reported was expected to close in early November and would keep 87 of 187 jobs at the Sennfeld site. Lapierre and Raleigh were still waiting on buyers.
Cannondale is shrinking too. Owner Pon is closing its Connecticut headquarters and cutting 143 positions. The global head office moves to the Netherlands, and North American operations consolidate in Santa Cruz, California.
Even the giants felt it. Segway-Ninebot's third-quarter revenue rose 14.1%, but its net profit fell about 37% on currency losses, pricier raw materials and heavier R&D spending, per Futubull. Shimano said North American complete-bike sales remained weak, with tariffs keeping prices high, per Bicycle Retailer.
Then there's scooter share. Voi called its third quarter another record, with revenue up 53% to €88.2 million, and it used a new credit line to pay off its bond early, according to its report. Dott posted its first-ever positive operating profit. It's an interesting divergence: the companies that build and sell bikes spent October restructuring and feeling small pains, while the ones renting scooters by the minute posted their best numbers yet.
New Releases Worth Knowing About
Segway's Xyber Air finally has a price. This street-focused moto-style e-bike lists for $1,999.99, went on sale October 27, and we've already released a full review covering all the dirty details. It pairs a 750-watt motor and 80 Nm of torque with a 717 Wh battery rated for up to 58 miles. Riders can switch among Class 1, 2 and 3 or a Hybrid Mode that combines a 20 mph throttle with 28 mph pedal assist. Segway's own spec page notes that Hybrid Mode isn't available in California, the state that just wrote the e-bike and e-moto line into law.
Lectric's XP Lite3 starts at $799. The new folder launched October 27 with a 300-watt hub motor (819 watts peak), a 20 mph top speed and a claimed 49-pound weight. The long-range versions start at $999 with a 672 Wh battery rated for up to 80 miles, though Electric Bike Report's review found real-world range fell short of that claim.
Ride1Up brought its mid-drive down to $1,295. The Prodigy V2 Eco, announced October 1, uses a Brose TF Sprinter motor with 90 Nm of torque, assists to 28 mph as a Class 3 bike, and carries a 504 Wh battery, per Ride1Up.
InMotion's X1 is up for preorder at $3,699. That's $300 off its $3,999 regular price. The preorder window runs from October 20 through December 31, with a $500 deposit and deliveries slated to begin early to mid-January, per InMotion. On paper it's a monster: 2,100 Wh of battery, 20,000 watts of peak power and a design top speed of about 74 mph. Jimmy and Andrew rode it early with InMotion's race team for our first look, and our follow-up put it through a specs and stress-testing deep dive.
Heybike's V1 Pro is a 50 mph dirt bike for $1,999. The early-bird price (MSRP is $2,199) buys an 8,000-watt peak motor, a 1,944 Wh battery and a UL 2849-certified battery system. It's yet another reminder of how cheap serious speed has become, in the same month two police departments were impounding e-motos. Initial shipments are estimated around November 15th, 2026.
Amped Electric Games Crowns An Unsponsored Champion
In early October, Amped Electric Games took over Bentonville, Arkansas, and the pro EUC title went to a rider without a single sponsor.
Bennett Schirmer, a 21-year-old mechanical engineering student, won the Flow Track and finished second in the Thunder Dome by seven hundredths of a second. That was enough to take the overall title by a combined 3.4 seconds over second-place Max Berger, with Zac Darnell third, according to USA EUC. Berger and Darnell are two racers who rode alongside Jimmy and Andrew in our InMotion X1 first look.
Schirmer's prize was a KingSong F18, the wheel our Freshly Charged crew reviewed the same week.
On the Onewheel side, Branden LaCour swept the pro races, winning both the Flow Track and the Thunder Dome ahead of Cameron Patecell and Ryan Rodriguez, per USA FLT's results. If you missed the event, our exclusive preview has the full rundown of what Amped is all about.
Check Out More Freshly Charged Content From October
- Segway FINALLY Made A Street-Legal Xyber!
- Illinois E-Bike Law: What Changes On Jan. 1st, 2027
- InMotion X1: Surprising Specs & Brutal Stress-Testing
- My 10 Biggest Rivian Regrets Nearly 5 Years Later
- NYC Class 3 E-Bike Ban: What The Two Bills Would Do
- InMotion X1: The EUC We've All Been Waiting For
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