The e-bike is becoming the “first car” for LA teenagers. And parents are discovering that buying independence for their kids comes with a truckload of worries.

Growing up in Livingston, New Jersey, I was a bit of an anomaly among my friends. Everyone else couldn’t wait to get a permit and a driver’s license. I preferred being driven to and from school.

Our high school parking lot had everything from Toyotas to Range Rovers. Whatever the logo, a first car meant freedom and a glimpse of who you wanted to be.

When I moved to LA in my early 20s, that appeal made even more sense. In this car-obsessed city, freedom and a first set of wheels were practically inseparable, a coming-of-age ceremony.

Now, the first set of wheels turning heads outside schools may come with handlebars and a battery.

At the high end, there are e-bikes that cost $20,000 — more than a used Mercedes.

But a standard e-bike costing around $2,000 can give a teenager independence for a fraction of the price of a used car, without the gasoline bills or the expense of adding a teenage driver to the family’s insurance.

Charging, maintenance and a helmet still cost money, but a parent can save considerably while reclaiming afternoons from the pickup circuit.

“Can you drive me?” becomes “Can I take my bike?” That adds hours back into a parent’s schedule. And for a teenager, the freedom of an e-bike feels like admission to a better social life.

But there are major risks. The parent imagines their son or daughter taking a sensible route to school. Their teenager imagines taking the e-bike everywhere else.

Then come the hospital numbers.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles reported in July that it was seeing about one child a day with e-bike injuries this summer, compared with 10 children in all of June 2025. The largest number of crashes involved teens between ages 14 to 17.

About one child a day. At one hospital.

The injuries can be severe. The hospital describes concussions, fractures, internal trauma and traumatic brain injuries.

Likewise, Children’s Hospital Orange County reported 201 pediatric e-bike trauma patients in 2025, up from 125 in 2024, a roughly 61% increase. E-bike injuries became the leading reason for emergency-department trauma visits at that hospital.

The word “bike” can obscure the seriousness of what a parent is buying.

So can the marketing. Legal e-bikes and high-powered electric motorcycles are different machines. Class 3 e-bikes provide pedal assistance up to 28 mph, whereas more powerful machines sold under the e-bike label may face different licensing and registration requirements. California officials have warned parents  about this distinction.

With a first car, we expect lessons about intersections, blind spots and responsibility. An e-bike can enter family life with far less preparation while putting a child into the same traffic, and with even less protection.

As a mother, I understand wanting children outdoors, seeing friends and finding their way. My daughter is obsessed with cars, bikes, boats and planes — she was riding a scooter at one year of age.

Independence matters. So does learning how to handle it.

If an e-bike does the job of a first car, it deserves the first-car conversation: Where you can go, which route you take, what you know about traffic and what happens when you break the rules.

Retailers should explain exactly what they sell. Cities need safe routes connecting schools and neighborhoods. Parents need to ride those routes with their children before handing over the freedom to travel alone.

My friends wanted car keys. I wanted a chauffeur. Today’s teenagers just hit the power button.

Parents may save a fortune on gas and insurance, but the anxiety remains full price. And peace of mind just isn’t part of the deal.

Adelle Nazarian is a journalist, entrepreneur and commentator covering politics, culture and technology.