The European Union has a set of technical and directive regulations that regulate the sale of bicycles in its member countries. These regulations seek to guarantee the quality and safety of these vehicles, as well as protect the consumer and promote sustainability in their use.
One of the main regulations is the Bicycle Security Directive, which establishes the technical requirements that bicycles must meet before being marketed in the market. These requirements include the resistance and stability of the structure, the correct functioning of the brakes and the visibility of the reflective elements, as well as the approval of each of the components.
In Tuvalum we take our certification process very seriously. That is why we ensure that the bicycles that we recondition fulfill the same technical processes and regulations that the European Union requires new bicycle manufacturers.
General Product Security Directive (GPSD, 2011/95/EC)
The General Directive of Products Security (GPSD, 2011/95/EC) is a regulation of the European Union that aims to guarantee the safety of the products sold in the EU member countries. This directive establishes a legal framework and a series of technical requirements that must meet the products to guarantee their safety in their use, manipulation and elimination.
The GPSD establishes the responsibility of manufacturers and distributors to ensure that their bicycles meet these safety requirements.
In case of not complying with the requirements, manufacturers and distributors can be sanctioned and their bicycles withdrawn from the market. The GPSD also establishes the obligation to monitor and notification of defective or dangerous bicycles, as well as the obligation to withdraw from the market those bicycles that do not meet the safety requirements.
In ISO 4210 on bicycle safety requirements
The IN ISO 4210 is a technical standard prepared by the ISO/TC 149 Technical Committee that establishes the minimum safety requirements that bicycles must meet before being put in the market. This regulation is part of the Bicycle Security Directive of the European Union. It is a set of technical requirements that must meet bicycles, including the resistance and stability of the structure, the proper functioning of the brakes and the visibility of the reflective elements. This regulation tamibén includes requirements such as resistance to impacts and wear.
This directive consists of 9 sections. The first of them specifies the definition of the different bicycle categories depending on their use. The second section refers to the security requirements for city bicycles, trekking, children's, road and mountain. Sections 3 to 9 specify which methodology manufacturers must follow to test the safety of the different systems that make up the bicycle.
Specifically, this standard focuses on the braking systems (ISO 4210-4), the direction and handlebar (ISO 4210-5), the frame and fork (ISO 4210-6), the wheels (ISO 4210-7), the pedals and transmission system (ISO 4210-8) and the armchairs and ber stiops (ISO 4210-9).
Directive 168/2013 on electric bicycles
This regulation harmonizes all the technical requirements that must meet the electric bicycles that are marketed in the European Union in Security matters (3/2014), components (regulation 44/2014) and environmental impact (regulation 134/2014).
In principle, all bicycles with an electric assistance engine are subject to approval as established in Regulation 168/2013, the three complementary technical regulations and the administrative implementation regulation.
For homologation, Regulation 168/2013 classifies electric vehicles in fourth different categories, depending on their speed limit, power limit and wheel number (here tricycles are included). The main novelty is the creation of the L1E-A category, which harmonizes the technical regulation of electric bicycles, both pedelecs and e-bikes, with a speed limit of 25 km/h and a power limit greater than 250W with a maximum of 1kw.
This regulation takes place through the standards in 15194, in 14764, ISO 4210, in 50604.
Point 4.2.4 of the standard in 15194 on electric batteries collects that both integrated and external battery chargers of e-bikes with 25 km/h limitation and 250W must be tested according to a series of regulated technical requirements.
Therefore, manufacturers who wish to comply with the standard in 15194 have to supply their electric bicycles with loaders who comply with this directive, providing the required technical documentation and carry out an evaluation procedure as described in Annex III of the Directive .
In the product you must mention a type, lot or serial number and indicate your contact data. The charger must be accompanied by instructions and security information in the consumer language. If your product complies with the directive, you must apply the CE marking.
Directive 2006/66/CE on electric batteries
The European Union has launched legislation to guarantee the collection and recycling of both batteries and vehicles. Directive 2006/66/CE on batteries is applied to all electric bicycles and aims to guarantee the security of the use of batteries that are part of the E-Bike Electrical Assistance System.
This directive also regulates the collection, recycling, treatment and elimination of electrical batteries on Europe They eliminate incorrectly.
The commercialization of most batteries and accumulators with a certain mercury or cadmium content is also prohibited. The directive applies to all batteries and, therefore, also includes lithium-ion batteries (LI-ion) that are usually used on electric bicycles. These are classified as "industrial batteries" and cannot be incinerated or eliminated in landfills.
Below are some of the specific measures apply to the industrial batteries described in the previous paragraph:
- Electric bicycles with batteries whose manufacturers are not registered in the National Registry of all Member States in which such batteries are marketed are not marketed. If, for example, the battery manufacturer of an electric bicycle or the electric bicycle manufacturer or its representative is not registered nationwide, the distributor will be considered to be the battery producer and will be considered responsible for the collection, treatment and recycling of waste.
- Industrial batteries must be easily removable from electric bicycles. If the battery is integrated into the bicycle, it must be accompanied by instructions that indicate how they can be removed safely and who is the most indicated person to do so.
- The batteries must be labeled with a container with crossed out and
Chemical symbols that indicate the heavy metal content of the battery.
- All industrial batteries collected must be recycled. Electric bicycle batteries cannot be deposited in landfills or incinerate.
