Illinois just made 40 mph e-bikes street legal – but there’s a huge catch

<div class="feat-image"><img src="https://electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/05/macfox-x7-e-bike-header.jpg?quality=82&#038;strip=all&#038;w=1600" /></div><p class="wp-block-paragraph">Illinois just signed a sweeping new electric bicycle law that, among many other changes, finally answers a question that has been hanging over the rapidly growing market for high-powered electric bikes: What exactly are we supposed to do with all of these 35 and 40 mph “e-bikes” that don’t fit into the normal three-class electric bicycle system?</p>