From June 15, 2019, the electric small vehicle road participation regulations (Elektrokleinstfahrzeuge-Verordnung/eKFV) formally came into effect in Germany, marking that electric scooters are allowed to be legally on the road
1. What kind of electric scooter is compliant (Pflichtausstattung)?
Top speed (Höchstgeschwindigkeit): 20km/h
Motor power (Motorleistung): up to 500W
Handle (Lenker) or joystick (Haltestange): It is best to adjust the height
Brakes (Bremsen): Two independent braking devices
Glocke
Car lights (Beleuchtung): one front (white) and one rear (red)
Side reflector (Seitenreflektoren)
Maximum size specification: length 2 meters, height 1.4 meters, width 0.7 meters
Maximum weight: 55kg
Insurance labeling (Versicherungsplakette): the tail is pasted and illuminated
The model needs to obtain the operation permit of the German Ministry of Transport (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt/KBA) (Allgemeine Betriebserlaubnis/ABE)
2. What are the requirements for drivers?
Minimum age: 14 years old
Alcohol concentration: less than 0.5 ‰ (Promille) (same as car driving standards)
Ride alone, no people
No need to hold a driver's license
No safety helmet required
3. What traffic rules need to be followed?
Use lane: bicycle lane (Radweg), when there is no bicycle lane, drive on the motor lane (Straße)
Special lanes: sidewalks with a sign of "Allow Electric Small Vehicles (Elektrokleinstfahrzeuge frei)". Driving on the sidewalk is prohibited without this sign.
No traffic lanes: all motor vehicles with red circle signs (Verbot für Fahrzeuge aller Art) need to be i
Fourth, the legal process of riding an electric scooter on the road
1. Purchase compliant electric scooters
At present, only a dozen models have obtained ABE. Here is a list of all the models that have obtained licenses. Obviously, Xiaomi is not in it. It is recommended to wait and see if you have ideas.
Tier ES 200G
VOI Voiager 1
IO Hawk Sparrow
B1D, FLASH, CIRC
Lime‐S 3.0
IO Hawk Exit‐Cross
EGRET TEN
Moovi
efloater
EGRET EIGHT; THE‐URBAN #BRLIN
Bird One
SoFlow SO6
VOI ES 100D
JUMP
2. Sign electric scooter insurance
If the electric scooter is purchased without insurance, you need to sign separately. You can find the right type of insurance for yourself on the price comparison website. Similar to other motor vehicle insurances, third party liability insurance (Haftpflicht) is mandatory, and you can also choose a half-insurance (Teilkasko). The price of insurance is around 50-60 Euros per year. After signing successfully, a green license plate, which is an insurance label (Versicherungsplakette), will be sent to you, and it will be attached to the rear of the electric scooter. Congratulations, you are finally on the road legally now!