New voucher program offers up to $2,000 for a new E-bike. Here's how you can apply

You could get up to $2,000 to buy an electric bike. Starting Dec. 18, low-income California residents can apply for the state’s new E-Bike Incentive Project.

The base incentive voucher is $1,750, but applicants with certain qualifications can get as much as $2,000. It’s a voucher, not a rebate, so you get the discount at the time of purchase. The money can also be used to buy things like helmets, locks and lights, as well as cover delivery costs.

Applications open on Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. and will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, so it’s a good idea to gather the documents you’ll need ahead of time. More details on those below.

Who’s eligible?

You have to be at least 18 years old and make less than 300% of the federal poverty level. That means a two-person household making less than $61,320 a year would qualify. You can see all of the eligibility requirements and income limits here.

Applicants have to provide ID, proof of income, take an online safety course, among other things. Approval may take up to 60 days.

There are also requirements about which e-bikes can be purchased using the voucher. Once you receive your voucher, you need to purchase a bike from a participating retailer. You can find a map of approved retailers here.

Only 1,500 vouchers are expected to be awarded during this first round of applications. Applications will then open every three to four months until funding is exhausted.

Why it matters

E-bikes have quickly become popular, but they’re expensive, with the safest and most reliable models often costing more than $1,000. The voucher program, which was pushed for by bike and transportation mobility advocates, aims to expand access to a more sustainable transportation mode particularly in communities that are overburdened by pollution and have less access to cleaner energy and transportation options.

Bigger picture, e-bikes can help cut pollution, but so far they haven’t received the same incentives as, say, electric cars. Pollutants from the tailpipes of cars and trucks are California’s largest source of planet-heating and health-harming pollution.

Research is finding that switching to e-bikes can actually help make a decent dent in that pollution — one Portland-based study found that drivers could reduce their carbon emissions by 12% if they switched up their routines and used e-bikes instead of their car for a few more of their shorter trips.

Most of us don't drive all that far on a daily basis. In the U.S, almost 60% of trips are done within a 5-mile radius or less. In the city of L.A., people drive on average about 9 miles any given weekday, which most e-bikes can easily cover round trip.

By using an e-bike instead of a car 15% more of the time, a person could cut their carbon pollution by an average of 225 kilograms per year. That's equivalent to the amount of planet-heating emissions spewed from a gas-powered car that's driven 558 miles.

Some things to consider

E-bikes can be more accessible for people who may not be able to ride a traditional bike. They’re less tiring and can go further distances without as much strain. There are also adaptive e-bikes, such as tricycle-style bikes, for people who may not be able to ride a standard e-bike. Plus, they're fun.

But with their higher speeds and lithium batteries, they also come with some dangers. There have been high-profile incidents of fatalities of people riding e-bikes, as well as fires started by improperly stored, defective or poorly converted e-bikes.

A rise in e-bike accidents have spurred new e-bike rules in Orange County, for example. Bike advocates say safety while biking is a long-running problem, with the issues being more a result of a lack of good bike infrastructure on roads, rather than the e-bikes themselves. As for fires caused by e-bikes, that’s why buying a safety-certified and well-built e-bike, and knowing how to properly charge and store that bike, is really important. Policy on what exactly an e-bike is, too, hasn't kept up with the surge in their popularity.

Those issues are in part why there are strict requirements for what types of e-bikes are eligible for purchase through the new voucher program.

Go deeper

Read our past coverage about expanding e-bike access, primarily through e-bike share programs.

• An E-Bike Ride In South LA And How You Can Rent One For Free
• Clearing The Air In Wilmington, One E-Bike At A Time
• A Free E-Bike Lending Program Just Launched In The San Fernando Valley. Here’s How It Works

More e-bike resources

Advocacy organization Cal Bike has a list of e-bike purchase incentives.

Local e-bike lending programs (most of these are still in their pilot phase):

• South LA
• Northeast San Fernando Valley
• San Pedro, Wilmington and Harbor City
• San Gabriel Valley 
• Long Beach