The federal authorities’s plan to supply a tax credit score for electric bike purchases doesn’t look like coming off of life help any time quickly, however that hasn’t stopped Denver from creating its personal e-bike rebate program. In reality, the town might need accomplished a good higher job making these efficient automobile alternate options extra accessible to a wider vary of incomes and budgets.
That’s as a result of Denver’s new electric bike rebate program is an precise point-of-sale rebate.
Unlike the proposed federal tax credit score that would present 30% off of a brand new electric bike buy, but nonetheless requires the rider to shell out the complete worth then wait on a return, Denver’s program applies its rebate immediately on the retailer.
It’s practically as potent because the as much as $900 provided within the federal program, with a $400 rebate for many e-bikes and as much as $900 for electric cargo bikes, which means it will possibly make a big dent within the worth of a brand new electric bike for Denverites. To make it much more equitable, low-income residents that qualify can see the rebate improve as much as $1,200.
Oh yeah, and this system truly exists. That’s only one extra benefit that Denver’s rebate has over the stalled federal program.
So whereas we wait with bated breath to see if Congress can revive the stalled e-bike tax credit score for hundreds of thousands of Americans, maybe its time to take a better have a look at how cities and states can observe Denver’s lead and make automobile alternate options extra accessible to commuters.
Denver’s program is fascinating for just a few causes.
First, it contains practically all electric bike designations. That means Class 1, 2, and three e-bikes qualify (speeds as much as 28 mph or 45 km/h), so long as they don’t exceed energy rankings of 750W.
Second, it focuses on electric bikes that riders can truly use for utility functions, i.e., selecting up the youngsters from faculty, buying groceries, attending to work, and many others. Full-suspension electric mountain bikes are particularly excluded from the rebate. That’s most likely a good transfer, as these e-bikes usually price $4K–$8K and anybody who can afford one doesn’t need assistance buying one.
Yes, they’re enjoyable to journey. I like getting huge air and bombing each uphill and downhill runs. But that’s not the purpose of those rebate applications. It’s not about giving individuals a enjoyable new leisure toy or perhaps a type of train (don’t neglect that electric mountain bikes can provide as a lot train as pedal mountain bikes). It’s about offering automobile alternate options that may assist cut back site visitors, cut back emissions, and push society towards embracing extra walkable cities.
That means you’re left with good old style commuter, hybrid, and luxury e-bikes for the $400 rebate, or electric cargo bikes for the $900 rebate (e-cargo bikes get an extra $500 rebate on high of the bottom degree $400 rebate for all e-bikes exterior of full-suspension electric mountain bikes).
And lastly, the rebate is redeemable by buying by way of quite a lot of native electric bike outlets. There are at the moment round a dozen electric bike outlets collaborating, and so they provide widespread e-bike fashions like these from Aventon, Raleigh, Fattebikes, Trek, Electra, Pedego, REI, and many others.
Sure, it’d be good to simply order a $799 Lectric XP LITE e-bike on-line and get it for 50% off utilizing the rebate, however that’s not going to occur. Instead, the Denver program is serving to native companies that promote e-bikes. And for the sort of program, that is sensible. Many riders collaborating will probably be new to e-bikes and so the help of a neighborhood seller that may present service and reply questions might be invaluable.
![Denver's electric bike rebates are making car alternatives cheaper. Other cities should listen up](https://electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/08/Copy-of-Juiced_Cross_Current_X19026-1.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=1000)
More research are exhibiting the advantages of swapping out automobiles for space-efficient and energy-efficient e-bikes that may journey at comparable automobile speeds in cities at a fraction of the price. Simultaneously, extra cities than simply Denver are discovering methods to assist embrace the societal advantages of accelerating accessibility to those necessary commuter instruments.
In reality, e-bike firm Aventon maintains an inventory of assorted native electric bike incentives dotting the US proper now.
Having just lately reviewed the corporate’s superior new Aventon Soltera e-bike, I can see a major goal for making use of a few of these rebates.
Shouldn’t your metropolis be subsequent?
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