They already do this. Or - the law doesn’t impose regulations on manufacturers, but it applies different laws to different classifications of vehicle, which are defined by metrics like top speed. So if a manufacturer wants their product to fit in one classification or another, they must put on speed limiters. Or at least, this is the way the law works in some places, and these laws are fairly standard, as they have been promoted by ebike advocacy groups for years who feared exactly the sort of heavy-handed regulation we are seeing in this post.

There are, unfortunately, a few problems.

First is public education. Most people buying any of these products don’t know which classification they are buying, nor that the classifications exist at all, or that different laws apply to different classifications. Governments should take on the responsibility of informing the public about their potential purchases, and sellers should be required to clearly display a vehicles classification when selling in so consumers can make an informed choice.

Second is aftermarket modifications. While this will almost certainly remain the domain of niche hobbyists, the government should make it clear that if you do modify your vehicle, then it will be considered as part of a new class if it meets those standards and will have to follow those laws.

Third is infrastructure. Infrastructure for different classifications should be built differently to accomodate its preferred classification and exclude others. We already know how to do this with cars, and we can apply the same techniques to high-powered emotos.