A new bill in Minnesota is taking aim at one of the fastest-growing gray areas in micromobility: high-powered electric two-wheelers that blur the line between e-bikes and motorcycles. Many of these electric two-wheelers travel at speeds of between 20-30 mph (32-48 km/h), but do so without any pedaling required, pushing them beyond the confines of traditional Class 2 and Class 3 street-legal electric bikes. Often referred to as ‘grey-area’ bikes, these models have proven popular despite their questionable status. Michigan bill HF3785 proposes a series of updates to the state’s vehicle definitions, with the goal of better categorizing everything from traditional electric bicycles to more powerful “e-moto” style machines. But in doing so, it also highlights how more states are beginning to move beyond the widely adopted three-class e-bike system. At its core, the bill preserves the standard definition of electric-assisted bicycles, which generally aligns with the familiar Class 1, 2, and 3 framework capped at 750 watts and speeds of 20 to 28 mph depending on configuration. However, the legislation goes a step further by introducing a new category for more powerful machines. Advertisement - scroll for more content Under the proposal, vehicles with power outputs between 750W and 1,500W and higher speeds would fall into a newly defined “motorized bicycle” category. That’s unique because it creates a formal home for many of the electric dirt bike-style or moped-like vehicles that have increasingly appeared on streets and bike paths but don’t fit cleanly into existing rules. The bill also tightens the definition of micromobility devices more broadly. It lowers the allowable top speed for certain devices from 30 mph to 20 mph and reduces the maximum weight threshold from 500 lb (226 kg) to 100 lb (45 kg). Those changes could have ripple effects for heavier or faster electric scooters and bikes that currently operate in shared-use environments. Perhaps the most consequential shift is a new catch-all provision stating that any device that doesn’t meet a defined category would not be permitted on public roads. That could impact modified e-bikes, DIY builds, and some high-performance electric two-wheelers depending on how strictly the rules are interpreted. Electrek’s Take What’s happening here in this proposed bill isn’t a total rejection of the three-class system, but it does feel like it is beginning to chip away at parts of it in an attempt to deal with what that system never anticipated. The original framework worked well for traditional e-bikes, but it didn’t account for the rise of lightweight electric motorcycles and high-powered throttle bikes that look like bicycles but perform very differently. The cap on 20 mph for electric-assisted bicycles seems like it could rule out Class 3 e-bikes entirely, which have traditionally been permitted to reach speeds of up to 28 mph (45 km/h), but without a hand throttle. Those bikes likely aren’t the primary target of this bill, which seems to be angling more for e-moto-style bikes. But they could get caught up in a dragnet of sorts. Minnesota’s approach tries to bring grey-area machines into a clearer regulatory structure instead of leaving them in limbo. But the tradeoff is added complexity. One of the strengths of the three-class system has been its simplicity and consistency across states, and moves like this could begin to chip away at that uniformity. As more states grapple with the same issue, the bigger question is whether we’ll see a new standardized category emerge for e-motos – or a patchwork of rules that vary from one state to the next. Federal guidelines could provide clarity, but could also prove more restrictive. Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.