The federal figure for an e-bike is 750 watts and 20 mph, and neither number is the one printed on most boxes. The CPSC's bicycle requirements guidance applies 16 CFR Part 1512 to a low-speed electric bicycle, defined as a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts, whose maximum speed on a paved level surface, powered solely by that motor while ridden by an operator who weighs 170 pounds, is less than 20 mph. The 28 mph on a Class 3 listing is a different measurement entirely: it is a pedal-assist cutoff written into state law. The condition that decides which figure governs a given bike is where it is ridden.
The federal test is motor-only, at 170 pounds
Read the CPSC definition as a test procedure and it stops being confusing. The rider weighs 170 pounds, the surface is paved and level, the pedals are not turning, and the question is whether the bike passes 20 mph on motor power alone. A bike that assists to 28 mph while the rider pedals can still sit inside that definition, because pedaling is not part of the test.
Two figures come out of it. Less than 750 watts is the motor rating; less than 20 mph is the motor-only top speed. Everything else on a specification sheet, including peak wattage, torque in newton-meters and a class number, sits outside the federal definition and is governed by 16 CFR Part 1512 only to the extent that the bicycle requirements themselves apply.
Class 1, 2 and 3 are state law
The class system comes from state vehicle codes, not from the CPSC. Washington's RCW 46.04.169 is a representative text: an electric-assisted bicycle has two or three wheels, a saddle, fully operative pedals and an electric motor with a power output of no more than 750 watts, and must fall into one of three classes.
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| Class | Motor engages | Assistance ceases at |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Only while the rider pedals | 20 mph |
| Class 2 | Throttle or pedaling | 20 mph |
| Class 3 | Only while the rider pedals, speedometer required | 28 mph |
The same section excludes any vehicle capable of exceeding 20 miles per hour on solely its electric motor, and any vehicle designed or sold to be easily reconfigured so that it no longer meets the definition. So a throttle that will push a bike past 20 mph takes it out of the category under that statute, whatever the box says. State codes differ; the one that governs is the one where the bike is ridden.
Watt-hours is the battery figure, and it is volts times amp-hours
Range in miles is an estimate that depends on rider weight, terrain, assist level and temperature. Watt-hours is arithmetic. Lectric's page for the XPeak2 High-Step lists a removable 48-volt, 15-amp-hour battery, which the manufacturer states as 720 watt-hours: 48 times 15 is 720.
Example, on Lectric's published figures: the standard 15-amp-hour pack is 720 watt-hours and is listed at up to 60 miles; the long-range 20-amp-hour pack is 960 watt-hours, costs $200 more, and is listed at up to 80 miles. The capacity ratio is 960 divided by 720, or 1.33, and the range ratio is 80 divided by 60, which is also 1.33. The manufacturer's "33% more range" is the capacity increase carried straight across, which tells you the range figures are scaled from capacity rather than measured separately on each pack.
UL 2849 and UL 2271 are the listings under a proposed federal rule
The CPSC published a notice of proposed rulemaking on June 24, 2026 that would create 16 CFR Part 1265 and require e-bikes to comply with ANSI/CAN/UL 2849-20, user-replaceable battery packs to comply with UL 2271-23, and other micromobility products to comply with UL 2272-24, each with modifications, on a proposed 180-day effective date. The Commission states that over the five years from 2019 through 2023 it is aware of 227 unique incidents involving fires, explosions, gas releases, burns, overheating and smoke inhalation that the rule could address; 90 of those incidents are associated with 39 fatalities and 181 injuries.
The proposed modifications name the specific gaps: tamper-resistant battery enclosure requirements carried over from UL 2272-24, a post-discharge charge test so the battery management system blocks charging when cell surface temperature is above the specified limit, and a reverse polarity test against damage from an incompatible charger. The same notice proposes a warning against homemade batteries. Until a final rule exists, a UL 2849 and UL 2271 listing is a voluntary claim by the manufacturer, and the document that supports it is the listing itself.
What an e-bike costs after the sale
Lectric states a one-year warranty on the XPeak2 and prices the bike at $1,399.00 with the standard pack. The battery is the component with a service life, and its replacement price is the ownership figure. Chargers are the other one: the CPSC's proposed rule exists partly because an incompatible charger can damage a pack, so the charger a bike is sold with is not a generic accessory. Brake pads, tires at 26 by 4 inches on this model, and a 330-pound payload capacity set the rest of the running costs. Riders who want a record of what happened in traffic price a camera separately, in the same way a home charger's circuit rather than its price decides what an electric car costs to keep.
Before you buy an e-bike
- The motor's continuous wattage and its motor-only top speed, which are the two figures in the CPSC's federal definition.
- The class as defined by the vehicle code of the state where the bike will be ridden, not by the marketing listing.
- The battery's voltage and amp-hours, multiplied out to watt-hours, and the pack's replacement price.
- Written confirmation of the UL 2849 listing for the bike and the UL 2271 listing for the battery pack.
- The charger supplied with the bike, and the manufacturer's statement of which chargers are compatible with that pack.
- The warranty document with its term and its battery exclusions.
- The service network: which shops will work on that motor and that pack, and whether parts are sold to owners.