Inside HITWAY UK: Electric Bikes, E-Scooters and What You Can Legally Ride
HITWAY UK sells electric bikes and electric scooters, with free shipping from a European warehouse and after-sales support covering mainland UK and the continental EU. This page is the front door to the store: the full range and prices, the UK licence and legality rules that apply to each vehicle type, how to choose between them, and what happens after you order.
If you arrived from a search about licences, road legality or price, this is the page that pulls it together. Every section links to a deeper guide, so you can stop at the overview or go straight to the detail you need.
What we sell
Two product ranges, both built around electric power and everyday use:
|
Range |
Starting price |
Typical use |
Legal position in the UK |
|
E-bikes (pedal assist) |
£599.99 |
Commuting, leisure, folding for mixed travel |
Legal on roads, cycle lanes and shared paths when they meet the EAPC rules |
|
E-scooters |
£899.99 |
Private land, farms, campsites, closed courses |
Not legal on UK public roads, pavements, cycle lanes or in parks |
That second row is the single most important thing on this page, and it is explained in full below.
Inside the HITWAY e-bike range
E-bikes are the core of the store. The range covers folding models, upright commuters, long-range 29-inch bikes and fat-tyre machines, from £599.99 to £1,499.99 at current prices (list prices run up to £1,699.99).
|
Model |
Price |
Type |
|
BK5S 16-inch |
£599.99 |
Folding |
|
BK2 |
£699.99 |
Folding |
|
BK15 Pro 27.5-inch |
£699.99 |
Commuter |
|
BK8SL 27.5-inch |
£899.99 |
Commuter |
|
BK7S Plus 29-inch |
£999.99 |
Long range |
|
BK15 Plus 29-inch |
£1,199.99 |
Long range |
|
BK9S 26x4.0 |
£1,299.99 |
Fat tyre |
|
BK15 4.0 |
£1,299.99 |
Fat tyre |
|
ELEKGO 03 cargo tricycle |
£1,499.99 |
Cargo |
Folding. The BK5S folding e-bike is the smallest and lightest way in, with a 16-inch frame and a 35-70 km range - compact enough to take on a train or into a lift. The BK2 does the same job with a slightly larger footprint.
Commuting. The BK15 Pro 27.5-inch commuter e-bike is the everyday workhorse: 60-100 km per charge and Shimano 7-speed gearing.
Long range. The BK15 Plus 29-inch adds 70Nm of torque and an 80-150 km range for hillier routes and longer rides, with hydraulic brakes. The BK7S Plus sits just below it.
Fat tyre. The BK9S 26x4.0 runs a 720Wh battery and 70Nm of torque, with 26x4.0-inch tyres for mixed and loose surfaces. The BK15 4.0 is the alternative in the same family.
Four models are confirmed at 250W maximum continuous rated power with assistance that cuts out at 15.5 mph - the BK5S, BK15 Pro, BK15 Plus and BK9S. Those are the models we direct UK road riders to, and they are the ones linked throughout our legal guides. For any model, check the continuous rated power and the cut-off speed on its product page before you assume it can be ridden on the road: the store also carries higher-output bikes from sister brands, and those are not UK road-legal e-bikes.
How to read an e-bike specification
Specification sheets are written to sell rather than to inform, and a handful of numbers do most of the work.
Rated power versus peak power. The figure that matters legally is the maximum continuous rated power - the power the motor can deliver indefinitely. Peak power, sometimes labelled "maximum output", is a short burst and is often two to three times higher. A bike advertised at "750W peak" may still be a 250W motor in law, and 250W is the number to look for.
Watt-hours, not volts or amp-hours. A bigger battery is not simply a battery with more volts. Volts multiplied by amp-hours gives watt-hours (Wh), and watt-hours decides range. A 48V 15Ah pack is 720Wh; a 36V 10Ah pack is 360Wh. Two batteries with the same voltage can differ in capacity by half.
Torque in Nm. Torque is the turning force at the motor, and it is what you feel on a hill or pulling away loaded. Commuter bikes typically sit in the 40-60Nm range; the BK15 Plus and BK9S deliver 70Nm.
Range claims. Manufacturers quote range on the most favourable terms available - lowest assist level, flat ground, a light rider, a warm day. Real-world range is usually 60-75% of the claim, so treat a quoted 150 km as roughly 100 km of actual riding.
Frame size and rider height. A 16-inch folding bike and a 29-inch wheel bike suit different bodies and different journeys. Check the recommended rider height on the product page rather than buying on price alone.
Brakes. Rim brakes are fine on a light bike in good conditions. Hydraulic disc brakes, which the BK15 Plus uses, hold up far better in the wet, on hills and under a heavier load.
And the two figures that decide the legal position: the continuous rated power, and the speed at which assistance cuts out.
The e-scooter range - and the UK position
The e-scooter range is built around performance and range rather than UK road use:
|
Model |
Price |
Battery |
|
H9 Pro |
£899.99 |
48V 20.8Ah |
|
H9 Pro |
£999.99 |
48V 27Ah |
|
H10 |
£1,199.99 |
48V 20.8Ah |
|
H10 |
£1,199.99 |
48V 28.6Ah |
|
H11 |
£1,199.99 |
52V 23.4Ah, dual motor |
The H10 and H11 are the performance end of the range: rated 500W per motor with peak output of 1600W per motor, speed modes at 10, 15 and 25 km/h, a page-listed unlocked top speed of 50 km/h and a 90-100 km range on 10x3-inch tubeless tyres.
Here is the part that matters. In the UK, a privately owned electric scooter cannot legally be used on public roads, cycle lanes, pavements or in parks. It is classified as a motor vehicle, which means it would need insurance, registration, vehicle tax, a licence and vehicle construction standards that a private scooter cannot satisfy. The only legal use is on private land with the landowner's permission - a garden, a farm, a campsite or a closed course.
The only legal way to ride an e-scooter in public in the UK is a government-approved rental trial, which is capped at 15.5 mph and limited to riders aged 18 or over with a full or provisional UK driving licence.
HITWAY e-scooters carry German ABE (Straßenzulassung) approval. That is a German type approval and does not make them legal in the UK. In the UK they are sold for private land and off-road use. For the full picture, read is an electric scooter legal in the UK?
Where each vehicle can be ridden in the UK
Legal class decides where you can go, and the map is not the same for all three vehicles.
E-bike (EAPC). Roads, cycle lanes and shared-use paths, on the same terms as an ordinary bicycle. Not on pavements or footpaths unless they are signed for shared use, and not on motorways. No helmet is required by law, though one is sensible.
Privately owned e-scooter. Private land only, with the landowner's permission - a garden, a farm, a campsite, a private estate or a closed course. Not on roads, cycle lanes, pavements, parks or public footpaths.
Rental trial e-scooter. Roads (not motorways) and cycle lanes inside the trial area only. Not on pavements.
Electric moped. Roads only. Motorways are off limits to learner riders, and pavements and cycle lanes are off limits to everyone.
The three vehicle classes in UK law
Most confusion in this market comes from treating three different vehicles as one. They are not.
|
|
E-bike (EAPC) |
E-scooter (private) |
Electric moped |
|
Public roads in the UK |
Yes |
No |
Yes, once registered and insured |
|
Licence |
None |
Use is not permitted |
AM licence |
|
Minimum age |
14 |
- |
16 |
|
Motor |
250W or less |
Any |
4kW or less |
|
Assistance cut-off |
15.5 mph |
- |
28 mph design limit |
|
Tax and insurance |
None required |
- |
VED plus third-party insurance |
|
Helmet |
Not required |
- |
Approved motorcycle helmet |
An e-bike needs no licence, no registration, no tax and no insurance, provided it has pedals, no more than 250W of continuous rated power, assistance that stops at 15.5 mph, and a rider aged 14 or over. Walk-assist must cut off at 3.7 mph, and a bike that runs on throttle alone is not legal unless it was sold before 1 January 2016 or holds full type approval.
An electric moped is a motor vehicle from day one: AM licence from 16, DVLA registration and plate, vehicle tax, at least third-party insurance and an approved helmet. The licence route costs roughly £275-£400 or more once you add the provisional licence, CBT, theory test and both practical modules.
The complete version of all this is in our guide to UK e-bike, scooter and moped law.
Looking after your e-bike: battery and maintenance
An e-bike is low-maintenance compared with a car, but battery care decides how many years you get out of it.
Charging. Charge to full before a long ride, and for storage keep the battery between roughly 40% and 80% rather than leaving it empty or pinned at 100%. Charge at room temperature, let the battery settle after a ride before plugging in, and avoid leaving it charging unattended overnight or sitting in a hot car.
Range over time. A lithium battery loses capacity gradually with charge cycles and age. Treat the original range as the best it will ever be - a gradual drop over several years is normal, not a fault.
The consumables. Tyres, brake pads, brake cables, inner tubes, chains and bulbs wear out with use and are not covered by warranty. Budget for them the way you would on a pedal bike.
Simple checks. Keep tyres at the pressure printed on the sidewall, check brake pads every few hundred kilometres, and keep the drivetrain clean and lightly lubricated. Most problems that reach a workshop turn out to be tyre pressure, brake adjustment or a loose connection.
Record your frame and serial number. Theft is not covered by warranty, and an insurance claim needs those numbers.
How to choose
Start with the question you are actually trying to answer, not with the specification sheet.
|
What you want |
Best fit |
Why |
|
Commute to work with no paperwork |
250W e-bike |
No licence, tax, insurance or registration, legal from age 14 |
|
A bike that fits a flat or a car boot |
16-inch folding frame, 35-70 km |
|
|
A hilly or long commute |
70Nm torque, 80-150 km, hydraulic brakes |
|
|
Mixed and loose surfaces |
720Wh battery, 26x4.0-inch tyres |
|
|
Off-road and private-land riding |
Performance scooter, not a UK road vehicle |
|
|
Public road riding above 250W |
Electric moped plus AM licence |
Legal once registered, taxed and insured |
What to budget beyond the bike
The sticker price is not the whole cost. A helmet, a lock, lights and mudguards are the practical minimum for a commuter, and a spare inner tube and a basic pump pay for themselves the first time you get a puncture. A second charger is worth considering if you park at work and at home.
Electricity is cheap. A full charge on a 720Wh battery costs well under a pound at typical UK domestic rates, so a 100 km week costs pence rather than pounds.
The largest long-term cost is the battery itself, which is why warranty terms matter more than a small difference in price at checkout. Beyond that, an EAPC adds no vehicle tax, no insurance and no MOT to the running total.
What it costs, and what changes the price
UK e-bikes generally fall into three bands:
|
Band |
Typical price |
What you get |
|
Entry |
£500-£800 |
Basic hub motor, 360-500Wh battery, short urban range |
|
Mid-range |
£800-£1,500 |
Larger batteries, better brakes, folding or 27.5-29 inch frames |
|
Premium |
£2,000+ |
Mid-drive motors, high-capacity batteries, branded components |
What moves the price within those bands is motor type (hub versus mid-drive), battery capacity in watt-hours and cell quality, frame material, brakes and gearing, the folding mechanism, and after-sales support. That last one is not marketing: a battery replacement is the largest long-term cost on any e-bike, which is why the warranty terms matter as much as the sticker price.
Running costs are where an e-bike separates itself from anything with a number plate. An EAPC pays no vehicle tax, needs no insurance and no MOT, and requires no licence. Electricity is the main ongoing expense.
An electric moped is a different budget. A used 50cc moped often sells for under £1,000 (AutoTrader), and a new entry-level petrol moped is around £2,000 - a Keeway Fact X 50cc is about £1,799 (MoneySuperMarket). Electric mopeds generally cost more than petrol equivalents, and you add the licence costs, insurance, tax, a helmet and registration on top.
For the full breakdown, see how much is an electric bike? and how much is an electric moped?
Buying from HITWAY UK
Shipping. Shipping is free on all orders, dispatched from a European warehouse. Orders are typically processed within one to two business days after payment, with delivery to Europe in around 3-7 business days. EU orders ship locally within Europe, so there are no customs duties or import taxes to pay on delivery. Every order is tracked, and tracking details follow by email. Full terms are in our shipping and delivery policy.
Warranty. Our warranty page sets out a one-year warranty on e-bikes for both the original purchaser and subsequent owners, excluding wear-and-tear items such as tyres, brake pads and cables, inner tubes, chains, bulbs and similar consumables. Claims begin with photos or video of the affected part, after which replacement parts are supplied with fitting instructions. Replacement parts ship within mainland UK and the continental EU. Theft is not covered, so record your frame and serial number on arrival and consider insurance.
Returns. Exchanges and returns are accepted within 14 days of delivery, provided the item was bought from our online store, is unused and is returned in its original packaging with all tags attached.
Support. Our team answers questions on choosing a model, maintenance and after-sales issues by email, typically within 24 hours on business days. Start with the FAQ and help centre.
Related guides
The bottom line
HITWAY UK is built around two things: electric bikes that need no licence, tax, insurance or registration, and electric scooters for private land and off-road use. The first group is the simplest legal route into electric travel in the UK - from £599.99, legal from age 14, with assistance that stops at 15.5 mph. The second group is a different kind of machine entirely, and it is not a UK road vehicle.
If you are choosing a bike, browse the full HITWAY UK e-bike range. If you are shopping for a scooter for private land, see the e-scooter range. If you are still working out what the law allows, start with the UK e-bike, scooter and moped law guide.
This article is general information about UK law, not legal advice - check GOV.UK for the current position before you ride.
