The popularity of electric bikes on Toronto streets is growing — but so, too, is a controversy.

Under a three-year provincial pilot project, electric bikes, called e-bikes, are being allowed on public roads to evaluate the safety of the vehicles.

While inexpensive and environmentally friendly, some believe the e-bikes push the limits of what is a bicycle.

At Silent Rider, near the St. Lawrence Market, owner Larry Meade says the e-bikes are safer than normal bicycles.

"The scooter provides for more stability, additional storage space, and a larger presence on the road," said Meade. "There are better safety features than there are on a bicycle."

But while virtually indistinguishable from a scooter, right now electric scooters are classified as e-bikes.

The e-bikes can go where bicycles go, use bike lanes and even park on sidewalks next to bike racks. But Yvonne Bambrick of the Toronto Cyclists Union says e-bikers are stretching the letter of the law.

"It's a clear contravention as to what should qualify as an e-bike ... it should mainly be powered by pedalling," said Bambrick.

"I think there's a place for the original e-bike. It looks and feels and moves like a bicycle. These scooters, I just don't think it fits," she said.

Under the pilot program, as long as it has pedals, an electric vehicle qualifies as an e-bike.

No written test is required to operate an e-bike, and no vehicle registration, plate or insurance is needed. The only requirement is that the driver be over 16.

The lack of red tape for e-bikes is in stark contrast to e-cars.

"If you look at the roads of downtown Toronto, we have vehicles of all classes, including these electric bikes. and we feel that Zenn and other low-speed electric vehicles have a place in that mix," said Catherine Scrimgeour, spokesperson for electric car maker Zenn Motors.

While the province conducts a safety review of electric cars. e-bikes are legal until the fall of 2009,

After that, the province will decide whether to license them.