‘Concerning surge’ in injuries prompts Boise emergency action on ‘e-motos’
Boise has seen an influx of vehicles sold as e-bikes even when those vehicles go more than 28 mph and have no pedals, essentially making them electric motorcycles or “e-motos,” according to a city memo.
Now, Boise’s City Council members on Tuesday are scheduled to consider an emergency ordinance allowing e-motos only on public roads, after what the memo called a “concerning surge” in injuries related to electric transportation.
The ordinance defines an e-moto as a “two or three-wheeled vehicle propelled in part or wholly by an electric motor exceeding 750 watts or capable of a top speed of more than 28 miles per hour,” differentiating it from an e-bike.
The e-motos would also need to be street legal, according to a news release, with a title, insurance and registration. E-moto operators would need to have a driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement, according to the release.
“There is a need across the country to respond to a wide range of issues related to the growth of traditional e-mobility devices and the emergence of new devices like the ‘e-motos,’” Council member Jimmy Hallyburton said in a release. “These unregulated e-motos are marketed toward kids and teens despite being more powerful than many mopeds and small motorcycles that require licensing, registration, and driver’s training.”
E-bikes have burst onto the transportation scene, delighting those who use them to get around town easily, but causing frustration and tension over speeding on slower paths. Not all e-bikes are created alike; some can go faster than others, and some don’t require the rider to pedal.
Boise’s ordinance is far from the city’s first attempt to regulate these new electric-assisted methods of moving about, part of Idaho’s shifting legal landscape around e-bikes and e-scooters.
Boise and Ada County both created infraction offenses for speeding on the Greenbelt, though from August 2024 to June 2025, Ada County sheriff’s deputies did not make any arrests or issue any citations, according to previous Statesman reporting.
Police in Boise have not cited anyone under the city’s Greenbelt speeding ordinance, spokesperson Haley Williams told the Statesman. However, Williams said there have been “multiple charges” for “reckless or inattentive operation of bicycle, e-bike, or e-scooter.”
The city also worked with Lime, the popular e-scooter and e-bike company, to limit scooter speeds in certain parts of town.
Just this year, Idaho lawmakers changed the state’s law to include e-bikes. The change closed a loophole that came to light after a 2024 case where a driver turned into an e-bike rider in downtown Boise. Police cited the driver, arguing he violated state code that requires drivers to watch out for pedestrians and human-powered vehicles. But the judge dismissed the case because it wasn’t clear if e-bikes are human powered.
The change means cars would need to watch out for e-bikes on the road. The legislation also clarified that e-bike riders need to follow regular traffic laws and sit only on the permanent, attached seat. There also couldn’t be more e-bike riders than normal under the proposed bill, a regulation that already applies to regular bicycles.
If approved, Boise’s ordinance would take effect immediately.
