Where can e-scooters be ridden?

We frequently receive questions about whether and where e-scooters, such as the Moovi, are permitted on public roads. To clarify the current legal situation and the possibilities for using e-scooters in traffic, this article lists all the important contact points and current case law. Currently, e-scooters are not yet permitted on German roads . This is due to the lack of approval or classification for this category of device, but this is expected to change by the end of 2018.

In Austria, Switzerland, France, and other EU countries, for example, the situation is quite different. In Austria, e-scooters are permitted on public roads under certain conditions, such as a maximum design speed of 20 km/h and active front and rear lights.

According to the Bundestag’s response to the topic “New developments in the field of small electric vehicles and opportunities for the transport transition” (see below), the Federal Government is in direct contact with EU countries where e-scooters are already actively participating in street sweeping.

What politicians say about e-scooters

The Alliance 90/The Greens party recognized the immense benefits of e-scooters for inner-city traffic (including traffic congestion and direct pollution reduction) early on and is currently strongly advocating for the introduction of a new class of e-scooters. The FDP is also said to be supporting the move.

"The fact that the transport transition is a small-scale issue is evident in the case of small electric vehicles. Their potential lies in short distances of a few hundred meters to a few kilometers, both in urban and rural areas. In cities with a good public transport network, small electric vehicles can make the journey to or from the nearest stop easier and extend the range."

Mathias Gastel – Alliance 90/The Greens

The new vehicle class “PLEV” for e-scooters and small electric vehicles

By the end of 2018, the German government intends to introduce new regulations that will allow e-scooters and similar electric micro-vehicles to be used on German roads without registration. This information comes from the response to an inquiry by the parliamentary group Alliance 90/The Greens . Mathias Gastel explains in a Spiegel interview that the new PLEV (Personal Light Electric Vehicle) category will likely be implemented under the following conditions: