Proposed NY E-bike Rebate Could Cut Costs in Half
New York State senator Julia Salazar has put forward a new bill (S3080, Amendment A) that would grant the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) the– authority (?) it would need in order to establish a new “ride clean rebate program” that could mean big savings for New York cyclists.
Section 1 of the bill directs NYSERDA to create a rebate program for class one (20 MPH top speed, pedal-assist), class two (20 MPH, can be ridden with the throttle, only), and class three e-bikes (28 MPH top speed) good for 50% of the price of the bike, to be capped at $1,100.
Translation: if you picked up a $1300 (ish) Aventon Soltera, you’d get a rebate for $650. If you swung for the fences and ordered a $12,000 Pivot Shuttle eMTB, you’d still get a rebate, but it would max out at $1100 – which, honestly, would be a nice little discount on any top-shelf e-bike.
The bill, itself, offers the following justification for the new incentive – and it echoes many of our own common arguments for the wider adoption of bicycles and scooters to serve as car replacements in many cases:
Whereas e-bikes became legal in past years and are seen in tandem with electric vehicles as part of the low carbon mobility future, and 75 percent of auto trips and 55 percent of transit trips in NYC are under five miles, this rebate would encourage more New Yorkers to purchase and utilize e-bikes for trips under five-miles removing congestion, traffic, and harmful emissions from our roads and air.
By establishing a Ride Clean Rebate Program in parallel with the Drive Clean Rebate Program that launched in 2017, New York State would diversify its clean transportation strategy to further build a clean, resilient, and affordable energy system.
Additionally, the funding for the Drive Clean Rebate Program is allocated in the State Budget and has not been fully paid out. This would also be a stimulus to new entrepreneurship as electric bicycles are an emerging industry in New York State in the period since legalization of the technology.
You can read the entire bill at the source link, below, then let us know what you think of an e-bike rebate in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Source: New York State.
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