Electric Boards AB604 now signed into law. California

It's apparently now signed by into law!!!!!

SECTION 1. Section 313.5 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:

313.5. An “electrically motorized board” is any wheeled device that has a floorboard designed to be stood upon when riding that is not greater than 60 inches deep and 18 inches wide, is designed to transport only one person, and has an electric propulsion system averaging less than 1,000 watts, the maximum speed of which, when powered solely by a propulsion system on a paved level surface, is no more than 20 miles per hour. The device may be designed to also be powered by human propulsion.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billCompareClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB604

from Twitter

“@KristinOlsenCA: My AB 604 to legalize electric skateboards & other personal transportation devices was finally just signed into law! #innovation #jobs”

I guess that's a good thing.

One part I don't get is where it says:

21113. (a) A person shall not drive a vehicle or animal, or stop, park, or leave standing a vehicle or animal, whether attended or unattended, upon the driveways, paths, parking facilities, or the grounds of any public school, state university, state college, unit of the state park system, county park, municipal airport, rapid transit district, transit development board, transit district, public transportation agency, county transportation commission created pursuant to Section 130050 of the Public Utilities Code

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Hmm... Can't park a vehicle in a parking facility?

Hey Everybody tweet a thanks to Kristin

That is landmark legislation a lot of other states and even countries will be using as example.

Print out the top page and put in your wallet.

If anybody challenges you like security guards etc then whip it out... The paper not your piece you freaks.

Bike lanes are fair game and no more wondering if it's okay.

What? Less than 1kw and 20mph. Well, there goes my CarvON. I guess I'm back to SkatePods, lol.

The world goes forward

This reminds me of how Segway lobbied the local governments to allow only them to be the motorized-vehicle on sidewalks and pathways. We all know what happened to Segway.

Well it has been passed, that 1000 watts max is annoying. A dual set can blow past this limit. This law doesn't give any regards to either a single motor cannot be greater than 1000 watts or total power system cannot exceed 1000 watts. I'm assuming this law applies to business, but as a diyer I don't think this will every apply to me as long I ride with common sense.

it reads average wattage not max wattage

Wasn't Onloop or somebody pointing out more like 400 watts average is real world.

This really is a big deal for us in California.

Let's say your riding along and don't have a express legal right to be on roads and are involved in an accident.

Insurance could deny benefits and if there are other injured parties then lawsuits etc could be ruinous.

CSN said:

Wasn't Onloop or somebody pointing out more like 400 watts average is real world.

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https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=71511&p=1102934&hilit=+power#p1102934

Yeah this is huge! We are legal. With that double edged sword will come some responsibility on our parts with lights and reflectors if cops choose to enforce code. I'm stoked because this means we can now ride the SoCal coast without being kicked out and harassed by HB and Newport PD! (When my knee is better )

Amazing! So it looks like we can ride electric boards on both the roadway or sidewalks?

A person shall not operate an electrically motorized board upon a highway, bikeway, or any other public bicycle path, sidewalk, or trail, unless that person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the standards described in Section 21212.

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Also note that lights and reflectors only applies at night.

CSN said:

it reads average wattage not max wattage

Wasn't Onloop or somebody pointing out more like 400 watts average is real world.

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Ha! Good luck explaining that to the cop. "But officer, my Boosted Dual+ really has average wattage of less than 1kw, despite what's on their website. Oh that topspeed is a typo."

Technically, the two top models from Boosted and Marbel are not legal. But I'm sure it will hardly be enforced. A shame really, they already went out of their way to undo the ban.

I think the wattage and "capability of going only 20mph or less" aren't really going to matter unless an officer actually sees you going faster than that. Otherwise, I don't think they'd have a reasonable cause to pull you over unless they plan on pulling over every eboarder and riding the board to see the maximum speed lol.

How many cars only go 65mph? It is definitely fair to say speed will only be an issue if we're blatantly pushing it.

Really it's just the beginning.

Municipalities could still ban them in certain places with posted ordinance signs etc.

Make sure to tweet to Kristin even if you don't live in California and keep the momentum.

1000W is a lot if u consider the dead weight we don't carry on eboard compared to ebikes (power to weight)
Seems a bit inconsistent with the battery capacity allowed on flights

100Wh/1000W=6min ride…

Not sure how accurate this is, but this article says the new law doesn't take effect until January 1st?
http://www.modbee.com/news/article38788179.html

*edit I just searched for articles about the other bills that were signed and they all seem to say they take effect on January 1st so its probably accurate.

disastorm said:

Not sure how accurate this is, but this article says the new law doesn't take effect until January 1st?
http://www.modbee.com/news/article38788179.html

*edit I just searched for articles about the other bills that were signed and they all seem to say they take effect on January 1st so its probably accurate.

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This is expected with any new legislataion enacted as law, signed officially.

I was hoping the old law would have been repealed and any new laws suspended until this industry could fully flourish.

I would much rather have a "low speed vehicle" ordinance be adopted for anything over 20 mph yet under 30mph and leave anything under 20mph unregulated or the same as a conventional skateboard.

Anything over 30mph could go through a registration process in the future with special licensing to show the rider has had proper instruction and experience.

wanted to know the legality of these e boards and found this.
the guy at the CHP office said the only way we could be legal is if we changed the board in some way where you could call it somthing else other than what is defined as a skate board.
This code was adopted earlier this year.
any work around ideas?

21968. No motorized skateboard may be propelled on any sidewalk,
roadway, or any other part of a highway or on any bikeway, bicycle
path or trail, equestrian trail, or hiking or recreational trail.

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=73383

Haha...good thing you have hub motors. It's not as obvious and you can kick it really easily. :wink:

Reminder guys this goes into effect tomorrow!

And did you guys read this?

"(b) A person shall not operate an electrically motorized board upon a highway, bikeway, or any other public bicycle path, sidewalk, or trail, at a speed in excess of 15 miles per hour."

And this?

"21292. A person shall not operate an electrically motorized board upon a highway, bikeway, or any other public bicycle path, sidewalk, or trail, unless that person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the standards described in Section 21212."


So do not exceed 15mph and you have to wear a helmet. It's the law now.

Wroxsti said:

wanted to know the legality of these e boards and found this.
the guy at the CHP office said the only way we could be legal is if we changed the board in some way where you could call it somthing else other than what is defined as a skate board.
This code was adopted earlier this year.
any work around ideas?

21968. No motorized skateboard may be propelled on any sidewalk,
roadway, or any other part of a highway or on any bikeway, bicycle
path or trail, equestrian trail, or hiking or recreational trail.

Click to expand...

The primary purpose of the AB604 was to seperate electric powered skateboards from gas powered skateboards so that they are no longer included in existing laws pertaining to "motorized skateboards". Read part (b) which was added to 21968 as a result of AB604.

21968. (a) A motorized skateboard shall not be propelled on any sidewalk, roadway, or any other part of a highway or on any bikeway, bicycle path or trail, equestrian trail, or hiking or recreational trail.
(b) For purposes of this section, an electrically motorized board, as defined in Section 313.5, is not a motorized skateboard.

So you see there is no need for any type of "work around", the law is perfectly clear yet the CHP are slow to accept it. In fact they think the new law was written for those spontaneously combustable Hoverboards, which becomes obvious when you read how they summerize it in this California Highway Patrol brochure, complete with a picture of a Hoverboard.

https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-services/programs/california-motorcyclist-safety/motorcycles-and-similar-vehicles

Note they even change the wording of 21968 (b) to say a Motorized Skateboard is not a Hoverboard. But here's the kicker, the new law 313.5 clearly states that electrically powered boards must have a maximum width of 18". Someone correct me here but aren't hoverboards like the one in the CHP photo 23"-24" wide, which would acctually make them illegal to operate under the new law?

313.5. An “electrically motorized board” is any wheeled device that has a floorboard designed to be stood upon when riding that is not greater than 60 inches deep and 18 inches wide, is designed to transport only one person, and has an electric propulsion system averaging less than 1,000 watts, the maximum speed of which, when powered solely by a propulsion system on a paved level surface, is no more than 20 miles per hour. The device may be designed to also be powered by human propulsion.