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Electric Scooter In Germany

Germany: Regulation to Allow Use of E-scooters on Public Roads Enacted

 

(June 25, 2019) On June 14, 2019, a regulation was published in Germany’s Federal Law Gazette that allows the use of light electric vehicles on public roads. Light electric vehicles include, among other things, e-scooters and Segways. Riders must use bike lanes or, if none are available, the street. Previously, the use of e-scooters was prohibited in Germany. Segways were allowed under the Mobility Help Regulation, which has been repealed and replaced by the new regulation. (Verordnung über die Teilnahme von Elektrokleinstfahrzeugen am Straßenverkehr und zur Änderung weiterer straßenverkehrsrechtlicher Vorschriften [Elektrokleinstfahrzeugverordung] [Regulation on the Participation of Light Electric Vehicles in Road Traffic] [Light Electric Vehicles Regulation], June 6, 2019, BUNDESGESETZBLATT [BGBl.] [FEDERAL LAW GAZETTE] I at 756, BGBl. website.)

Definition of Light Electric Vehicles

The Light Electric Vehicles Regulation defines light electric vehicles as “motor vehicles with electric drive and a top speed of no less than 6 kmh (3.7 mph) and no more than 20 kmh (15.5 mph) that meet the following criteria:

  • a vehicle without seats or a self-balancing vehicle with or without seats;
  • a handlebar or handrail of at least 500 mm (about 19.7 in.) for motor vehicles with seats and of at least 700 mm (about 27.6 in.) for motor vehicles without seats;
  • continuous rated power of no more than 500 watts, or no more than 1400 watts if at least 60% of the power is used for self-balancing;
  • a total width of no more than 700 mm, a total height of no more than 1400 mm (about 55 in.) and a total length of no more than 2000 mm (about 78.7 in.); and
  • a maximum vehicle mass without driver of no more than 55 kg (about 121 lbs.). (Id. § 1.)

A light electric vehicle is self-balancing if it has built-in electronic balancing, drive, handlebar, and deceleration technology to keep it balanced autonomously.

Requirements for Use on Public Roads

A light electric vehicle may be driven on public roads only if it

  • corresponds to a type for which type approval or individual approval has been issued;
  • has valid insurance for light electric vehicles;
  • has a vehicle identification number and a manufacturer’s data plate that states “light electric vehicle” and lists the top speed and the type approval number or individual approval number for the vehicle; and
  • meets the requirements for deceleration devices, lighting, audible warning, and other safety measures. (Id. § 2.)

Children under 14 years of age are not allowed to ride light electric vehicles. (Id. § 3.)

Riders may use only bike lanes or shared lanes for pedestrians and bikes. If there are none, light electric vehicles may be driven on the street. Public authorities may permit the use of light electric vehicles in other areas on a case-by-case basis or for specific applicants. General permission to use light electric vehicles in such traffic areas must be indicated with a traffic sign “light electric vehicles allowed.” (Id. § 10.)

Rules of Conduct

Riders must drive behind each other, are not allowed to hold onto other driving vehicles, and are prohibited from driving no-handed. (Id. § 11, para. 1.) A turn must be indicated in a timely manner with a hand signal if the light electric vehicle does not a have a blinker. Riders must pay attention to bike traffic and adjust their speed to bike traffic if necessary. (Id. § 11, para. 4.)

Light electric vehicle riders who do not adhere to the rules as outlined in the Light Electric Vehicles Regulation can be fined up to €2,000 (about US$2,244). (Id. § 14; Straßenverkehrsgesetz [StVG] [Road Traffic Act], Mar. 5, 2003, BGBl. I at 310, 919, as amended, § 24, para. 1, sentence 1, German Laws Online website.)

Finally, the general rules for stopping and parking applicable to vehicles apply to light electric vehicles as well. (Light Electric Vehicles Regulation § 9; Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung [StVO] [Road Traffic Regulation], Mar. 6, 2013, BGBl. I at 367, as amended, § 12, German Laws Online website.) FROM:  https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2019-06-25/germany-regulation-to-allow-use-of-e-scooters-on-public-roads-enacted/

 

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — Electric scooters are now legal in Germany with several restrictions and regulations.

In most cities in other countries, electric scooters belong to the cityscap, In Germany, it was forbidden to use them on public roads, but the country has recently released its first e-scooter regulation.

 

Can I buy any scooter?

No — Only scooters with type approval by the Kraftfahrt Bundesamt, the German Federal Motor Transport Authority, are allowed on public streets. Double check before you buy a scooter.

Do I need an insurance?

Yes — An insurance sticker is mandatory. This sticker is available at German insurance companies. The price for one year is about 15 to 30 euros.

How fast can I drive?

The maximum speed is 20 kilometers per hour (12.4 miles per hour).

 

Do I need a drivers’ license?

There is no license required to drive the scooters, but there is a minimum age of 14 years. Younger drivers are not allowed to ride e-scooters on public streets.

 

Where can I drive and where not?

E-scooters can be used on bicycle roads and at special bicycle side stripes. Just in case these streets aren’t available, the usage of regular streets is allowed. The Autobahn and pedestrian streets are prohibited for e-scooter driving.

 

Exceptions

In areas where no vehicles are allowed at all, you can push or carry the e-scooter. Walkways with the new extra sign can be driven by e-scooters.

 

Is a helmet mandatory?

Helmets are not mandatory, but highly recommended.

 

How can I indicate my direction?

If your scooter isn’t equiped with a turn signal you need to indicate the dirction with your arms, similar to bicycle rules.

 

Can I bring it on buses and trains?

Most transportation companies in Germany already agreed to transport e-scooters, which is a great vehicle to combine with public transportation.

 

What are the DUI rules?

The same rules apply as driving a car. High fines and car driving bans can be ordered by the police.

 

What are the fines?

  • Pass a red traffic light: 60 – 180 euros
  • Driving on sidewalk: 15 – 30 euros
  • Driving on the Autobahn: 20 euros
  • Driving without insurance sticker: 40 euros
  • Driving without type approval: 70 euros
  • Driving side-by-side: 15 – 30 euros

 

What about Segways, air wheels, hoverboards and e-skateboards, pedelecs and s-pedelecs?

  • Segways need to be insured like a small motorcycle. A driver’s license is necessary.
  • Airwheels, hoverboards and e-skateboards are generally not allowed to drive on public roads.
  • Pedelecs (bicycles with an electric motor up to 25 kilometers per hour) are allowed on public streets and don’t require a license or insurance sticker.
  • S-Pedelecs (bicycles with an electric motor up to 45 kilometers per hour) are allowed with insurance plate and a moped license “AM”. A regular car license “B” also covers S-Pedelecs.

 

Are there specific regulations on-post?

  • It’s prohibited to drive on the One Community Road with an e-scooter.
  • E-scooter Drivers are supposed to wear a helmet.

E-Scooters were finally authorized for use on German roads almost exactly two years ago and they were quickly adopted as the perfect mode of transportation for short distances. These electric pedal scooters are usually small and easy to transport, often even foldable. The perfect vehicle for inner cities and short distance commutes.

12 thoughts on “Germany legalizes e-scooters, these are the rules”

  1. Becky says:

    So, I love Electric Scooters in Germany, Been driving them here for 2 years now and currently have 2 different modeled Segway Scooters They have model numbers and the ones that end in the letter “D” are Deutschland ones, i see a ton of comments saying theirs aren’t legal and its true, you must buy a German specific one. That being said, insuring mine was as simple as declaring and checking some boxes on line, and the “plate” sticker was mailed to me.

    First: INSURANCE IS CHEAP!!! it cost me 35 euros for a year for EVERYTHING insurance, like medical, damages, and even theft. The second policy i have is for a cheaper scooter with less attachments, and its 17 Euros for an entire year! The insurance for an entire year is worth so much more than ANY fine you can possibly recieve from just being honest! A new Deutschland model scooter will start at 200 Euros, the fines start much higher 😉

    That being said the sticker is mailed to you and you could in theory slap it on anything you wanted legal or not, just know it isnt worth it to do anything illegal with it.

    The very first day i was super eager! and excited to ride it but i hadn’t received my sticker in the mail yet, my “plate” came the next day. I carried the paper printed that i ordered, paid and had my insurance info but didn’t have plate yet! i rode, turned down 2 streets and was pulled over not even 2km from my home. I was just stopped for driving without the sticker, luckily for me i provided proof, and was all good. However, they are definitely on top of it!
    Overall, ive driven, 956 Km on my 2 scooters, they fold, are great for Germany, the trains, and overall getting around, without a single cent of petrol! worth the money/insurance

  2. Essa Jammeh says:

    Hallo,

    I bought a e-scooter from an individual person and I forgot my receipt in my Jacket and wash it with machine, before registration and now I cannot find any receipt to register it and I cannot trace the Seller

  3. Mario says:

    Call you local police or you DMV DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES in your city.

  4. ken says:

    i have a scooter exceeds the speed limit, where can i calibrate it so it can be street legal?

  5. Tom Chun says:

    Hi. I have a scooter which cannot be legally accepted by the German government due to the speed limit regulation. But I rode it anyway and did not go over the speed limit nor did crazy things. Once I was doing grocery and Polizei caught me and wrote a report. After 2 month I received a fine of 1050 EUR which I think is ridiculous. Luckily I have legal protection insurance so should I fight for this or not? Anyone can help me?

    • Stijn says:

      You did something illegal knowingly and got caught… You might think the fine is ridiculous but I think it’s ridiculous you rode the scooter anyway despite being informed that it was not legally accepted.

  6. Emre says:

    After getting the insurance, what will happen if i tune the e-scooter and make its speed 40 km/h ?

    How will insurance know this and cancel it ?

    • Nelson says:

      Police will test it on a Rollenbank.

  7. Jan Müller says:

    Where do I get the insurance for my e scooter?

  8. Vijay kumar M says:

    Hello,

    Could you please suggest where can i get the insurance done for escooters?

  9. Nathan says:

    How do I get a license plate my e-scooter?

    • Mario says:

      Call your local police department or your dmv Department of motor vehicles.

Holland/Netherlands warehouse Electric scooters for adults
Holland/Netherlands warehouse Electric scooters for adults

These “Small Electric Vehicles,” as they are called in official bureaucratic German, are regulated in a 50-page ordinance by the Federal Ministry of Transport. The most important rules for riding an e-scooter on a German road are:

• The maximum speed must not exceed 20 km per hour.

• Every scooter has to have two independent brakes.

• The scooter must have lights permitted by the German Federal Government in the same way as for bicycles.

• Must have at least one ringing bell or acoustic horn.

• The minimum age for riding an electric scooter is 14 years.

• Helmets are mandatory per Army regulation; knee and elbow pads are highly recommended.

• The same alcohol limits apply to electric scooter drivers as to car drivers.

• Electric scooters are only permitted for one person. This does not change even if two people do not exceed the permissible total weight.

• All Electric Scooters have to have an official Operating Permit, which usually can be found in the manufacturer’s manual and on the manufacturer’s website.

• And most important:

• Liability insurance is mandatory to ride an e-scooter on German roads. The good news is that the little insurance sticker that serves as proof of insurance is easily obtainable from ADAC, insurance companies and also sold by local banks. This liability insurance is meant for damages caused to third parties by the e-scooter. In addition, some insurance companies offer the option of taking out voluntary partial coverage insurance for e-scooters.

In some German cities, the popular vehicles have now become quite the nuisance. “How many scooters may be on the bottom of the Pegnitz?” Asks city councilor for the Grüne in Nürnberg, Mike Bock, recently. A German newspaper reported that the city of Köln initiated recovery of about 500 e-scooters from the bottom of the Rhine River.

U.S. Army Soldiers have also discovered the convenient e-scooters for day-to-day rides across installations and for daily commuting. At Storck Barracks in Illesheim, Regionally Aligned Forces (RAF) Soldiers on deployment status are not allowed to purchase cars. Many Soldiers use the e-scooters to ride from their living quarters in the housing areas to their workplace in the hangars, to the dining facility, and to the fitness center. They increasingly use their e-scooters to ride to the nearby town of Bad Windsheim for shopping and take it on the train as they venture out on day trips to nearby cities.

Steve Borkowski, installation site manager for Storck Barracks, is concerned: “The Soldiers buy these e-scooters off the internet without any knowledge about the legality here in Germany. They are just fun to ride and they have become fairly inexpensive to purchase. I have also seen electric hover boards and alike on post, which are not legal to ride in Germany.”

When asked about the legal implications, USAG Ansbach Deputy Director of Emergency Services, Peter Kleen explained: “The e-scooters are so new, there is no USAREUR guideline on the operation of e-scooters on post. Generally, the Deutsche Strassenverkehrsordnung, the German traffic regulation, is applicable on all U.S. Army installations in Germany.”

Light electric vehicle riders who do not adhere to the rules as outlined in the Light Electric Vehicles Regulation can be fined up to €2,000 (about US$2,244). (Id. § 14; Straßenverkehrsgesetz [StVG] [Road Traffic Act], Mar. 5, 2003, BGBl. I at 310, 919, as amended, § 24, para. 1, sentence 1, German Laws Online website.)

 

Germany voted Yes to e-scooters back on May 16th. Today more details have been revealed about the requirements of both the e-scooter and the driver.

We’ve summed up the requirements below.

  • Has a steering and holding rod.
  • Maximum 70 centimeters wide, 1.40 meters high and 2.00 meters long.
  • Permitted maximum weight: 55 kg (without rider)
  • Maximum design speed of minimal 6 and maximal 20 km/h
  • Power limitation to 500 watts (1,400 watts for self-balancing vehicles like the typical Segway ride)
  • Compliance with “driving dynamics” minimum requirements

The electric vehicles must be roadworthy, be able to brake, be controllable and have a lighting system.

Insurance

In addition to the technical conditions, buyers or lessors must take out liability insurance for electric pedal scooters.

The first insurance companies already offer this for 29 euro per year. However, there is no fixed insurance number plate. Instead, an insurance sticker is issued that should be attached to the back of the vehicle, if possible under the tail light.

Fines

Electric pedal scooters may only be driven on cycle paths or cycle lanes. Anyone who moves an electric pedal scooter without a general operating licence, pays a fine of 70 euro.

Driving without an insurance sticker costs 40 euros. Among other regulations, insufficient lighting is fined 20 euros, and driving on “unacceptable traffic areas” or side by side comes with a 15 euro-fine.

German lawmakers voted on Friday to allow e-scooters to take to the streets making the UK the last major European economy to still ban them.

The text approved by the Bundesrat on Friday enables battery-powered scooters to circulate on roads and cycle paths but forbids them from being used on the pavements. Users must be 14 or over and must respect a 20 kilometres per hours speed limit.

Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer said on Twitter that with the vote, Germany is “paving the way for the mobility of the future with the greatest possible road safety.”

“The regulation takes into account the interests of all road users,” he added.

A boost for public transport?

The move was also welcomed by Achim Berg, President of Bitkom, the country’s largest digital association. In a statement, Berg said that “e-scooters can be an ideal complement to bus and train for the last few kilometres to the destination. This makes public transport more attractive and can reduce car journeys.”

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