What is the difference between Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 e-bikes?

Class 1 assists only while you pedal and stops at 20 mph. Class 2 adds a throttle that can move the bike without pedaling, also up to 20 mph. Class 3 assists only while you pedal and stops at 28 mph. All three use a motor of 750 watts or less under the three-class system that most states have adopted. The class is printed on a label on the frame of a bike sold as Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3.

Which e-bike classes does Velosurance insure?

Velosurance insures Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 e-bikes, with a maximum assisted speed of 28 mph, the same way as a conventional bike: theft, crash damage, and transit loss in the core policy, at stated value with no depreciation. Liability, medical gap, and uninsured motorist coverage can be added. High-power electric dirt bikes and anything assisted above 28 mph are not covered.

Where can I find my e-bike's class, speed, and motor power?

Start with the label most makers put on the frame near the bottom bracket or seat tube: it lists the class, the top assisted speed, and the motor wattage. The product page and the owner's manual repeat the same figures. If the bike was modified or unlocked after purchase, use the speed and power it reaches now, not the sticker, because the label describes the bike as sold.

Does an e-bike with a throttle count as Class 3?

A throttle-equipped bike that stops at 20 mph is Class 2, the class designed for throttles. Under the three-class definitions a Class 3 bike assists only while pedaling, so a bike that uses the throttle above 20 mph does not fit any of the three classes in most states. Some bikes ship with a throttle limited to 20 mph and pedal assist to 28 mph; check your state's definition before riding one on a path that limits classes.

E-bike Class Finder: Is It Class 1, 2, or 3?

Which Class is Your E-bike?

The three-class system turns on three facts. Pick the answers that match the bike as it is today.

Your Result

This e-bike is Class 1 Pedal assist only, stopping at 20 mph, with a motor of 750 watts or less. The most widely allowed class: bike lanes and most multi-use paths.

Velosurance coverageInsurable as a bicycle

Typical road statusBicycle in most states

Class	Throttle	Assist stops at	Motor
Class 1	No	20 mph	750 W or less
Class 2	Yes, to 20 mph	20 mph	750 W or less
Class 3	No	28 mph	750 W or less

Class 1 bikes have the fewest restrictions. New Jersey uses its own definitions and requires registration, a license, a helmet, and insurance for e-bikes; see the New Jersey e-bike law guide.

Based on the three-class definitions adopted by most states as of 2026 (the model used by PeopleForBikes). States differ on where each class may ride, on helmets, and on minimum ages, and a few define e-bikes their own way. Check your state before you ride.

How It Works

The three-class system was written so a bike, a cop, and an insurer could all agree on what a thing is.

The Decision Tree

Motor over 750 W, or assist above 28 mph -> outside the three classes Throttle that works above 20 mph -> outside the three classes Throttle to 20 mph, assist stops at 20 mph -> Class 2 Pedal assist only, assist stops at 20 mph -> Class 1 Pedal assist only, assist stops at 28 mph -> Class 3

The federal definition of a low-speed electric bicycle (a motor of 750 watts or less, two or three wheels, working pedals, and a top speed under 20 mph on motor power alone) is a product-safety rule for manufacturers. The three-class system that most states have written into their traffic codes adds the detail that matters on the road: whether the bike has a throttle, and whether the pedal assist stops at 20 mph or 28 mph. Class 1 and Class 3 are pedal assist only; Class 2 is the throttle class, limited to 20 mph.

Anything past those lines, a motor above 750 watts, assist above 28 mph, or a throttle that keeps pushing past 20 mph, is not an e-bike under the three-class system. Most states treat such a machine as a moped, a motor-driven cycle, or a motorcycle, with the registration and license that come with it, and insurers written for bicycles do not cover it.

Why the Class Matters for Insurance

Velosurance insures Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 e-bikes, maximum assisted speed 28 mph, like any other bike: theft, crash damage, and transit loss at stated value with no depreciation, with liability, medical gap, and uninsured motorist coverage as elected options. A bike that comes out of this finder as "outside the three classes" is not eligible. The full picture, class by class, is on the e-bike insurance page.

The Wrinkles

Labels describe the bike as sold. A Class 2 bike with the speed limiter raised, or a Class 3 bike with a throttle that was unlocked past 20 mph, is classified by what it does now. Some manufacturers ship a bike with pedal assist to 28 mph and a throttle capped at 20 mph; under the strict three-class definitions that is not a Class 3 bike, and several states have had to say so. New Jersey rewrote its definitions in 2026 and now treats throttle bikes to 28 mph as motorized bicycles that must be registered and insured; the details are in New Jersey e-bike registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 e-bikes?: Class 1 assists only while you pedal and stops at 20 mph. Class 2 adds a throttle that can move the bike without pedaling, also up to 20 mph. Class 3 assists only while you pedal and stops at 28 mph. All three use a motor of 750 watts or less under the three-class system that most states have adopted. The class is printed on a label on the frame of a bike sold as Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3.
Which e-bike classes does Velosurance insure?: Velosurance insures Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 e-bikes, with a maximum assisted speed of 28 mph, the same way as a conventional bike: theft, crash damage, and transit loss in the core policy, at stated value with no depreciation. Liability, medical gap, and uninsured motorist coverage can be added. High-power electric dirt bikes and anything assisted above 28 mph are not covered.
Where can I find my e-bike's class, speed, and motor power?: Start with the label most makers put on the frame near the bottom bracket or seat tube: it lists the class, the top assisted speed, and the motor wattage. The product page and the owner's manual repeat the same figures. If the bike was modified or unlocked after purchase, use the speed and power it reaches now, not the sticker, because the label describes the bike as sold.
Does an e-bike with a throttle count as Class 3?: A throttle-equipped bike that stops at 20 mph is Class 2, the class designed for throttles. Under the three-class definitions a Class 3 bike assists only while pedaling, so a bike that uses the throttle above 20 mph does not fit any of the three classes in most states. Some bikes ship with a throttle limited to 20 mph and pedal assist to 28 mph; check your state's definition before riding one on a path that limits classes.

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E-bike Class Finder

Which Class is Your E-bike?

About the Bike

Your Result

How It Works

The Decision Tree

Why the Class Matters for Insurance

The Wrinkles

Frequently Asked Questions

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Class 1, 2, or 3? Insure it like a bike