Older-style electric bikes are much more compact and have a small electric motor that supplement the pedals; for riders that lack the strength to climb hills, for example.
The legal specifications meant that so long as the vehicle could conceivably be powered by pedals, and the motor was electric, it still counted as a bike. There's your loophole.
The legal specifications meant that so long as the vehicle could conceivably be powered by pedals, and the motor was electric, it still counted as a bike. There's your loophole.