A majority of people who have bought e-bikes might not have ever tried an electric bicycle without money-saving rebates available, according to a recent report from the University of British Columbia’s Research on Active Transportation Lab.
Researchers studied the environmental, equity, and travel impacts of an e-bike rebate program in British Columbia, Canada, following the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s launch in 2023. It featured three income tiers to make e-bikes more affordable while reducing pollution in local communities.
Approximately 60% of people surveyed said they would not have bought an e-bike without the rebate. Through the rebate, lower-income residents were able to afford e-bikes that would have otherwise been out of their budgets.
However, studies show that people in lower-income brackets are also more likely to use public transit because it is more affordable than owning and driving a car.
“There’s a bit of a tension there between the equity benefits and the greenhouse gas benefits,” said Alexander Bigazzi, principal investigator of the study. “But we found that there are a lot of income-constrained people who are still driving quite a bit and are just moderately low income.”
This study of the British Columbia e-bike program is insightful because it shows the potential of rebates to expand e-bike adoption worldwide.
Riding an e-bike has significant health benefits and can help you save time, money, and stress on your commute to school, work, or while running errands. E-bikes can be enjoyable to ride and are far better for the environment than driving a car that emits tailpipe pollution.
Beyond just British Columbia, e-bike rebate programs have been popular in many other communities. They’ve become accessible for people of all ages and advanced technologically, with improvements that make them safer and more efficient.
Even if you don’t live in an area with an e-bike rebate program, Upway can help you find one at 60% off retail price. If you’re already an e-bike owner, you can sell your old model to Upway and get money to trade it in for a new one.
Interestingly, e-bike owners can save significantly on charging by installing solar panels at home rather than relying on public charging stations. TCD’s Solar Explorer can help you understand your options and find a trusted, local installer to save on installation costs or find a $0-down solar subscription.
The British Columbia report highlighted many positive comments and feedback from e-bike riders surveyed.
“I have used 1/2 tank of gas in the last 14 months and let my car insurance expire back in March, so my car is off the road, saving me the costs of gas and insurance,” one person commented.
“This e-bike purchase with the rebate was one of the best purchases I have ever made in my life,” someone else wrote. “The value that I have gotten is 10/10.”
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