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There doesn't need to be a new rule for motorized bikes on bike lanes because there are already very clear rules. Max 25 km/h, not allowed to have autonomous support, max 250W, manufacturer has an obligation to prevent tampering.
Those rules are legislative in the whole of the EU.
The issue is with the enforcement of the rules. Not only in the streets, but also at the importer.
The issue is also with how the rules are written.
The max 250W refer to continuous motor power over 30 minutes.
Here's how that is measured to determine if a motor is legal:
So a manufacturer can have their motor tested at 250W and passed, even though it can supply 1000W peak power.
And all they need to do (legally, mind you) to supply 1000W continuously is add some cooling fins.
You are correct that the power of 250W is not very strictly defined in the standards. However, for the maximum speed there is a clear specification or 25 km/h with a maximum tolerance of 10%.
Regarding the power, yes it's true that the bike standard EN15194 allows for some creativity to boost the power (not the speed) and many ebike systems do this. However, it seems that lately this is getting out of hand with some system manufacturers offering motors with more than 1000W of peak power. This raises the question if the way the standard describes it, might be modified in the future to better align the product with the vehicle class. The whole epac vehicle class was initially meant to help people who need pedal support to cycle. The epac class was intentionally created and classified as a bike instead of a motor vehicle to promote public mobility and health. And you could make an argument that a 1000W electric bike abuses that class for a different purpose.
The movement to tighten the regulation is already underway.
And it has a good chance of succeeding, since Bosch is greasing palms to get it passed.
Of course they'll design their proposal in a way that'll also shut out their Chinese competition.
All of europe flat? I didnt think 250 would be enough help to make it up hills
They're only capped at an average of 250W over 30 minutes.
Peak output is in the 800-1000W range, and the duration is only limited by heat.
I cycled up The Hill in Torino this morning. Definitely not flat, I can tell you. Strava estimates an average of 155W over 25 minutes for a leisurely 10km/h. Add another 100W and some pedaling to offset the heavier bike, and you're going up quite fast enough.
There is no way for a manufacturer to completely prevent tampering. There should be a fine if you're caught bypassing safety guards.
For manufacturers, there is a difference between making something hard to tamper with, and not preventing it at all.
For instance, you can speed up a Bosch equipped bike but you need to install an add-on module from a controversial third party that messes with the CAN bus data.
Whilst on some Chinese import, you can just set the maximum speed in the display of the bike.
If itβs not designed to go faster, tampering with it wouldnβt do anything. The problem is these bikes are built for the fastest market and kneecapped, instead of having its own new model.