PORTLAND (AP) – Maine motor vehicle officials are curbing electric, three-wheeled vehicles that have appeared on some roads because they don’t qualify as motorcycles.

The three-wheeled Xebras first appeared in 2006. The California-based ZAP company has sold more than 700. They seat two people, travel up to 40 mph and have a range of about 30 miles with rechargeable batteries.

Tom Joyal of Kennebunk got a letter from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles telling him that the vehicle isn’t a motorcycle because it has a steering wheel instead of handlebars.

Garry Hinkley of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles says slower-speed vehicles present highway safety issues. Slow speed vehicles must have four wheels to be considered for car registration.