VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – What’s a scooter? What’s an electric bike? They look quite similar as they zip down the street.

Mark Jan Vrem with ICBC says it’s about what is powering the two-wheeler.

“A motor assisted cycle will have an electric motor of 500 watts or less and it will have bicycle-style pedals for manual propulsion,” he explains. “You need to be able to pedal it without using the motor for it to qualify,”

A Chilliwack man recently got in trouble for taking the pedals off his electric bike – running it just on the motor.

He took it to court and lost because once there’s no pedal power, it becomes a vehicle that needs to be insured and that’s not an option.

Jan Vrem suggests Transport Canada take a second look at these two wheelers and how they are legislated.