Hawaii lawmakers are trying to slam the brakes on the island's fastest two-wheelers, signing off this spring on a sweeping new set of rules for high-powered electric bicycles and other small motorized rides and sending the package to Gov. Josh Green. The bill tightens who can ride what, where powerful machines can go, and which riders need helmets, with a special focus on cutting injuries to kids and pedestrians. Backers say it finally clears up a legal gray zone, while some riders worry the age rules are a little too blunt.
What HB 2021 would change
House Bill 2021 would lock in a three-class system for e-bikes and spell out that an electric bicycle is a bike with fully working pedals and a motor no larger than 750 watts, with anything stronger treated as a separate category of "high-speed electric devices" that would be banned from public roads, bike lanes and sidewalks, according to LegiScan. The bill would outlaw exhibition riding such as wheelies, require helmets for anyone under 18, and bar kids under 16 from operating class 2 or class 3 e-bikes unless they are directly supervised by an adult.
It would also limit e-bike riding on sidewalks to speeds under 10 mph, make retailers label bikes with their top assisted speed and whether they are legal on public facilities, and give authorities the power to seize machines that are not road-legal or do not meet the new rules.
Why lawmakers say change is overdue
Supporters and emergency responders point to a steady climb in serious wrecks involving faster, heavier devices as the reason for tightening things up. The Hawai‘i Bicycling League has noted that Honolulu EMS handled more than 200 e-bike and e-motorcycle incidents in 2024, and local paramedics have reported more concussions, internal injuries and facial fractures tied to higher-speed electric vehicles, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
Supporters, riders and the gray area
Safety advocates argue that spelling out exactly what counts as an e-bike will protect everyday riders while getting motorcycle-style machines off sidewalks and bike paths. “It will allow e-bikes to have their rightful space in the transportation space,” Hawai‘i Bicycling League advocacy director Eduardo Hernandez told Civil Beat.
At the same time, some frequent e-bike users worry that the age limits could hit working families hardest, making it tougher for commuters who rely on cargo e-bikes to haul kids and groceries to keep doing what they already do safely.
What happens next
The bill cleared its final reading, was enrolled and transmitted to the governor, with tracking pages showing HB 2021 landed on the governor's desk on April 30, according to LegiScan. If Gov. Green signs it, the measure would hand law enforcement and local governments new authority to rein in high-power devices. If he vetoes it, lawmakers will have to regroup and try again.
The debate is not entirely new. A similar catch-all e-bike bill passed last year but was ultimately vetoed over worries that its language could be read to cover electric cars, a concern reported by the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
