Our recent Facebook posts about the fires in BC sparked enormous discussion, including many provocative and, at times, offensive comments. Some accused us of taking advantage of these tragic events. We want to take this opportunity to clarify the reasons behind our posts, as outlined below:
We founded Motorino Electric Cycles in 2003 — at a time when electric cars didn’t commercially exist, let alone electric bikes. Due to low awareness, our first six years were very challenging. By 2018, however, we had imported 200 containers and sold nearly 10,000 electric bikes and scooters.
That year, Motorino customers became the target of enforcement authorities. A Motorino customer lost a legal case over operating a Motorino XMR scooter in BC, through the Provincial Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeal between 2018 and 2021. After the BC Supreme Court ruled Motorino scooters illegal (because they could not be operated primarily by pedals), we were visited by the VPD Target Enforcement Unit and warned about the bikes’ status. When the BC Court of Appeal upheld the decision a year later, it marked the end of the Motorino business — and we lost nearly $250,000 in inventory and parts. (You can search “CBC Motorino” for more details.)
After closing Motorino, we worked closely with Transport Canada and launched Joule Motorcycles — a higher-level operation dealing in two-wheel vehicles built by manufacturers recognized by Transport Canada and listed in its pre-clearance list alongside Honda, Yamaha, Triumph, and others. Every vehicle manufacturer importing into Canada must appear on this list to allow subsequent registration and insurance.
We signed contracts with:
- V-Moto (Australian public company, part-owned by Ducati)
- Kollter (German, headquartered in Frankfurt)
- Horwin (Austrian-Chinese joint venture)
- Evoke (Hong Kong-based, run by a German-Canadian team)
For each of their vehicles to be approved in Canada, we had to complete multiple tests at Canadian-authorized test facility and submits a ~200-page test report to Transport Canada. The CMVSS certification process costs between $80,000–$120,000 per model and can take 1–3 years. The whole CMVSS procedure must prove all motorcycle components come from certified suppliers, prove the structure strength of the vehicle and ensure that the batteries come from a list of reputable and insured manufacturers.
At the Canadian border, each vehicle’s VIN is verified against Transport Canada’s (TC) pre-clearance list and the submitted packing list, then registered in a national database. During the sale, that VIN is recorded in the customer’s NVIS (New Vehicle Information Statement) through TC-certified software. In the event of injury or property damage, investigators can trace responsibility back to the manufacturer or supplier. This electronic system also ensures that each customer can be located and notified in case of a recall.
This was very different from our Motorino days — and from other Canadian brands today — where bikes were imported as Power Assisted Bicycles (PABs) as long as they were limited to 32 km/h and had pedals. Importers could choose any Chinese manufacturer, with little oversight. After Transport Canada revoked the PAB category, non-compliant bikes incapable of exceeding 32 km/h remained largely unregulated. All other electric cycle exceeding 32km/h entering Canada must be produced by an authorised by Transport Canada manufacturer. To avoid the expensive and lengthy process many importers declare their over 32km/h electric motorcycles as non-regulated e-bikes with attached pedals and hidden speed governor with online instructions how to be disabled.
After closing the Motorino business, Joule Motorcycles introduced fully CMVSS-compliant motorcycles. Then we noticed an increase in similarly powered and fast motorcycles with attached pedals being sold as motorcycles and even registered with ICBC. After we submitted to ICBC another company’s customer NIVIS (New Vehicle Information Statement) along with their ICBC registration and insurance of CMVSS non-compliant motorcycle, we asked them whether their policy had changed. Their Registration and Licensing analyst replied:
“There has been no change in ICBC’s policy regarding the registration and insurance of non-compliant motorcycles, but it is getting increasingly difficult to identify them because some companies have been producing fake NVIS documents that look real and fool many of our Autoplan agents into believing they are compliant… Please be aware operators of these non-compliant motorcycles are still subject to fines from law enforcement.”
In other words, registering and insuring a non-compliant motorbike with fake documents does not make it legal. If such a vehicle causes injury or is stopped by law enforcement, the user remains fully liable.
Many comments in the next two posts accused Joule Motorcycles of taking advantage of others’ misfortune. Fortunately, none of the recent three fires resulted in loss of life. (A tragic exception: on January 31, 2022, a BC man died after a lithium battery explosion caused a fire in his Vancouver apartment.)
Others directed their anger at electric vehicles in general — often driven by fear of lithium-ion batteries. We addressed these incidents simply to raise awareness: in less than a month, BC saw three lithium battery-related fires. As an EV distributor, we are concerned that such incidents unfairly damage the reputation of the EV industry.
We are confident in the batteries installed in our vehicles, and we firmly believe most fires involving lithium batteries are caused by low-quality cells, mishandling, or unqualified repairs. This is why we continue to advocate for stricter regulations and better enforcement — to protect public safety and the credibility of electric vehicles.
JOULE MOTORCYCLES TEAM
