Berkeley E-bike Equity Project (BEEP)

The City of Berkeley has awarded Waterside Workshops a $250,000 grant to create an electric bike (or “e-bike”) access program that will provide e-bikes to income-qualified Berkeley households. Additionally, Waterside will offer training and safety lessons for program participants, and will collect information on e-bike usage to help inform future climate equity actions.

Berkeley could soon offer rebates on electric bikes right at the register in an effort to reduce the city’s carbon emissions. If it passes, the city would provide up-front rebates for e-bikes next year, which means buyers would get a discount when they make their purchase. Low-income residents would qualify for larger rebates. The rebates could be matched by similar ones funded by the California Air Resources Board and East Bay Community Energy Program that are set to take effect next year, providing steeper discounts to Berkeley residents. The item recommends that the city devote $500,000 to the rebate program.

BART offers a variety of discounts for ebike riders, including discounted fares for ebike riders and discounts for ebike parking. BART also offers rebates for ebike purchases and subsidies for ebike infrastructure. BART is also working to improve access to ebike charging stations at BART stations.

The incentives program will launch in the first quarter of 2023 and will be open to people living anywhere in California. Qualifying applicants may be able to get a voucher of up to $1,000 for a regular e-bike and up to $1,750 for a cargo or adaptive e-bike. People whose income is under 225% FPL or who live in disadvantaged (DAC) census tracts qualify for additional incentives of up to $250. To qualify for the incentive program, participants’ household income is capped at 300% of the federal poverty level (FPL). The program will support the purchase of Class 1 (up to 20 mph, pedal assist only) and Class 2 (up to 20 mph, pedal assist and throttle) e-bikes and Class 3 (up to 28 mph, pedal assist only). Participants must purchase a bike from a California bike shop or online from a company with a business location in California.

The Electrify Your Ride Program offers rebates and support for electric vehicles, Level 2 EV chargers, and EV readiness (electrical work related to charger installation). Rebates are available to 3CE customers and may vary depending on income levels. In addition, some local governments may offer subsidies or other financial incentives to purchase ebikes.

The new pilot rebates will apply to new Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes with a limit of two per PWP residential electric service account. Rebate amounts range from $500 to $1000 for e-bikes purchased at retailers within the city of Pasadena, with an additional $250 bonus for customers enrolled in PWP’s income-qualified bill assistance program. Further details about the program, including how to apply, will be announced online at PWPweb.com in late June.

UC will provide access to a pre-tax program to pay for transit costs and a UC-negotiated e-bike purchase discount program within 12 months of ratification. UC also agrees to attempt to negotiate reduced-fee or no-fee access to regional transit system(s).

Qualifying applicants may be able to get a voucher of up to $1,000 for a regular e-bike and up to $1,750 for a cargo or adaptive e-bike. People whose income is under 225% FPL or who live in disadvantaged (DAC) census tracts qualify for additional incentives of up to $250.

The Clean Cars 4 All program offers up to $7,500 in incentives to access public, private, and shared mobility options, including electric bicycles. Eligibility for these incentives is based on household income level, where the participant resides, and the replacement vehicle chosen.

The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge E-Bike Commute Program provides eligible commuters a voucher to save 80% or up to $1000, whichever is less, on a new e-bike from participating bike shops. Plus, participants can earn additional rewards for riding their e-bike across the bridge!

The Charge Up E-Bike Rebate Program offers rebates of up to $500 for the purchase of a new electric bicycle and up to $250 for the conversion of an existing bicycle to an electric bicycle. The program is funded by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and administered by Mobility Matters.

The Sea Otter Classic Foundation is raising funds to supply e-Bikes to the Veterans Transition Center of Monterey County to help the veterans they serve transition from crisis to self-sufficiency. To date, they have donated 8 e-Bikes and counting. These bikes provide a personally empowering and independent form of transportation for veterans in need. At the present time, the Foundation is only able to provide e-Bikes to the Veterans Transition Center for their use.

Many local governments and utility companies offer rebates and subsidies for purchasing an electric bike. Check with your local government or utility company to see if any rebates or subsidies are available. Additionally, the Ride and Drive Clean Ebike Discount Campaign offers up to $1,000 or 40% off select models and 10% off all full price Ebike models.

EBCE is offering a $6 million e-Bike program for residents throughout their service area. This program includes a $2 million e-Bike lending program and a $4 million e-Bike incentive program. The program will also include incentives for low-income customers who are on a CARE electricity rate. The program will be available across EBCE’s service territory of Alameda County and the City of Tracy, as well as in the City of Stockton which is taking EBCE service starting in 2024.

The Redwood Coast Energy Authority launched a public rebate for electric bikes on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22. The $500 rebate*, funded by RCEA’s Community Choice Energy program, aims to make bike commuting a viable option for RCEA customers who wish to purchase an e-bike to replace vehicle trips. $41,500 in funding was initially available for the program, which is equivalent to 83 rebates. Applications are no longer being accepted as all funds are reserved.

- City of Healdsburg Electric Bike Rebate: $700 for income-qualified CARE customers, $400 for an e-bike purchased in Healdsburg, $300 for an e-bike purchased outside of Healdsburg, $50 for an e-bike conversion attachment kit.

The Monterey Bay Air Resources District offers the Monterey Bay e-Bike Incentive Program (e-BIP) to low-income applicants from Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties. The program provides rebates and subsidies for the purchase of Class 1, 2, or 3 electric bicycles on or after July 1, 2022. Eligibility is based on proof of low income eligibility, and applications are reviewed and approved in the order they are received. Additional incentives and resources are available from GO Santa Cruz, Central Coast Community Energy, and Ecology Action.

Google's bike and e-bike lending program offers free loan of high-quality electric-assisted and conventional bicycles for a period of six months to interested employees. Additionally, Google has implemented innovative commute options for commuters, such as transportation demand management (TDM) programs, to reduce traffic and parking demand at their headquarters in Silicon Valley.

The City of Redding Electric Utility offers an e-Bike program that provides a point-of-purchase voucher of up to $1150 towards the purchase of an eligible e-Bike, lock, and helmet for income-qualified customers.

The Pedal Ahead program offers a loan-to-own program that enables eligible participants to work toward owning an eBike by completing program requirements. Initial funding for the program was provided by San Diego County, The Left Coast Fund, The San Diego Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund, and SDG&E. The California Statewide eBike Incentive Program has not yet started, but announcements will be forthcoming.

EZBike Project for Employers offers lunch and learn demonstrations to employers who would like to support ebike use. Participants must be residents or commuters in Santa Barbara County and aged 16+ (Class I and II) or 18+ (Class III). There are also community events scheduled from time to time, which can be accessed through the SurveyMonkey tool and EZBike Reservation Portal. Additionally, Traffic Solutions offers Emergency Ride Home for ebike users.

This program will cost $559,000, which will be covered by a grant from the California Energy Commission. Drivers will receive bikes, helmets, locks, saddle bags, rain jackets and other accessory gear free of charge and indefinitely. The program, administered by the nonprofit GRID Alternatives, will also include complimentary insurance as well as safety training from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition.

GoSGV offers a variety of rebates and subsidies for e-bikes. For the Classic Commuter model, the rate is $49/month for the first 3 months. For students, the rate is $39/month, and for income-qualifying riders, the rate is $19/month. For the Cargo/Family bike, the rate starts at $129/month (up to 2 months). Group/Business/Income-Qualified rates are available upon request. Additional fees may apply, such as a delivery fee of $45, a deposit of $250-$500, and a theft policy fee.