Electric skateboard regulations in France, Germany and Spain

"EDPM-compliant" does not mean that a body has issued an approval, as it would for a car: no such individual procedure exists in France. It means the product meets the EDPM criteria: speed restricted to 25 km/h, front and rear lights, reflectors, horn. The Stern' meets them from delivery.

In Germany, the eKFV framework (the regulation on small electric vehicles) explicitly excludes vehicles without handlebars from public roads. An electric skateboard, however capable, is therefore not allowed on roads or public cycle lanes there: its use is limited to private land, rental company grounds or mountain resorts that allow it on their own area. Switzerland applies a comparable restriction, banning this product category from public roads.

In Germany and Switzerland, the Stern' is therefore ridden on private land, at a resort or with a rental company.

Spain regulates personal mobility vehicles (VMP) under the authority of the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico), with rules that also vary according to local municipal by-laws. To date, this national framework does not explicitly cover electric skateboards in the same way as it covers scooters. A Spanish buyer should therefore check their municipality's rules rather than assume a single, stable national framework.

Buyers often compare with the e-scooter, which has been regulated for longer. But this benchmark does not apply everywhere to the electric skateboard, whose status is more recent and varies from country to country. In Germany and Switzerland, having handlebars or not makes all the difference in law.

Another frequent question, especially in town: theft. No regulation protects you from it. Lock your Stern' like a bike, with a bike or motorbike lock; you can also slip an AirTag or similar tracker onto it.

This summary reflects the rules at the date of publication. They are changing, especially in Spain and Germany. For country-by-country detail and official sources, see our Regulations page.