When Denver launched its new batch of 860 e-bike vouchers, the Colorado city’s program to transition citizens from single-occupancy cars to two-wheelers sold out in 20 minutes. Two previous rounds with the same number of vouchers were completed in 10 minutes The ease, affordability and excitement of riding an electric bike compared to other modes of transportation has triggered a tsunami of similar incentives at the national and local levels across the United States .
With the release of a report by Alexandria city officials last month indicating the city’s goal to launch its own e-bike rebate program this summer, the wave of e-bike incentives is possibly, regardless, successful in Virginia. While Rep. Josh Thomas, D-Gainesville’s bike voucher bill, survives the upcoming General Assembly consultation, the two-wheeler revolution may also spread across the Commonwealth.
Thanks to Clean Car Standards and President Joe Biden urging U. S. automakers to move away from fossil fuels, electric cars are now widely regarded as America’s primary solution to the climate crisis, and they’ve also become political footballs. The biggest impact on people’s mobility and the environment is the modest e-bike.
The 280 million e-bikes on the planet (compared to just 20 million electric cars) reduce global oil demand by about one million barrels per day, four times more than electric cars replace. As cars are smaller and lighter than cars, e-bike production also consumes far fewer resources and produces much less carbon. The same amount of raw material that goes into a Hummer EV, as President Biden has promoted, could produce just 400 e-bike batteries.
Environmental benefits, however, likely aren’t the reason e-bike sales outpaced electric car purchases nationwide last year by roughly 300,000 units. E-bikes’ main draw is their power as a fun and affordable alternative to driving.
“For other people who reported on the e-bike revolution, they probably wouldn’t see how vital it is,” said Jim Durham, director of advocacy for the Virginia Cycling Federation. “The vast majority of people who own electric motorcycles are replacing car rides with bike rides, indicating that they are more commonly used for transportation. Cargo motorcycles greatly increase the number of trips you can take by bike, such as running errands or going to school.
Over half of all trips Americans take are under three miles; 28% are less than one mile. That means with the right infrastructure and easy access to e-bikes, most trips in the United States could be shifted away from deadly, polluting and space-consuming single-occupancy vehicles and onto two wheels.
Many Americans realize the strength of e-bikes when injury or age limits their ability to get around by car or bike. Alexandria City Councilmember Sarah Bagley’s nerve injury to her arm this summer limited her mobility until a friend recommended she try an e-bike. .
“My e-bike has allowed me to get back on the move faster because it relieves my stress,” she said. “I didn’t use it until I got mine, but it actually reaffirmed my confidence that e-bikes are a game-changer for shorter trips, like running errands, and open up opportunities for other seniors or people with disabilities. Getting around your community.
– Sarah of Alexandria (@SarahforALX) August 1, 2023
Bagley bought his e-bike with a 40% off flash sale that reduced the value of the sticker from the original to more than $1,000. This placed her e-bike in a diversity that she could afford, in the same way as discounts around the world. are delivered to other e-bike buyers. After just two months of riding them, he asked city staff to explore an e-bike incentive program to share his joy with his fellow Alexandrians.
Their report, released just a few weeks ago, points out how grants and budget contributed through developers to the city’s transportation control plan can potentially cover the cost of electric motorcycle rebates starting next summer. A tiered relief program similar to Denver’s, which provides more assistance to low-income residents, is the preferred path, but for those living in homes without secure motorcycle storage, the report recommends subsidized memberships to Capital Bikeshare.
“There’s a need for investment at the state level, but what I’m hoping to do by piloting things at the local level is get e-bikes into the hands of interested citizens whose mobility is being challenged lately by the economy and infrastructure,” Bagley said. Then it’s a win-win situation. “
Since Virginia’s e-bike bill is currently being drafted by the General Assembly’s Division of Legislative Services, no one yet knows exactly what the legislation carried by Del. Thomas will entail. The bill could lay out a statewide rebate, propose a pilot program or simply study how best the commonwealth could implement e-bike incentives. Lawmakers, agency experts and advocates have plenty of questions to answer before a potential rebate rollout.
“I don’t think Virginia’s motorcycle shop network is as well-organized as car dealerships are when they handle discounts,” Durham said, referring to the electric car rebate program approved and left unfunded by state lawmakers three years ago. “A state-owned company would have set up a bureaucratic operation to take into account the programs, assign voucher numbers, and then reimburse the motorcycle workshops. “
Recent research by PlanRVA on e-bike incentives across the country uncovered 112 such programs, giving Virginia policymakers enough opportunities to be informed about their delight and put the most productive practices into practice. People for Bikes, a national advocacy organization that promotes more safety and more inclusive cycling, is an organization that offers many recommendations on how to design incentives to drive the e-bike revolution.
“In general, we say $300 to $400 is the minimum amount to inspire other people to get a higher-quality car replacement in the long run,” said Ash Lovell, director of e-bike policy and campaign at People for Bikes. The amount can increase from there: many incentives give other people more for shipping motorcycles and offer more to other people with lower incomes. “
Lovell also recommends vouchers rather than reductions, as a reduction at the point of purchase is much less intimidating for consumers than having to put all the money up front for an electric bike and then wait for a refund, especially for low-income consumers. income. Lovell believes it won’t restrict people’s access to e-bike assistance either.
“Denver also allows businesses and nonprofits to apply for vouchers so they can build up fleets of e-bikes for their employees or those they serve in a job center or homeless shelter, for example,” Lovell said.
Whatever the form of the e-bike incentive schemes proposed in Alexandria and at the General Assembly (38 million Americans have used an e-bike this year), Durham is confident that orders for such schemes will increase over time.
“I’m confident in our chances of getting an e-bike bill through the General Assembly in 2024, but this is the first year we’ve proposed it, so there’s an educational hurdle and it can just be challenging,” he said. “But it’s the right thing to do for Virginia, even though it will take her a few years to adopt it. “
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by Wyatt Gordon, Virginia Mercury January 3, 2024
When Denver released its most recent circular of 860 vouchers for electric motorcycles, the Colorado city’s program to help citizens ditch single-use cars and use two wheels sold out in 20 minutes. Two circulars passed with the same number of vouchers were finished in 10 minutes. The ease, affordability, and excitement of riding an electric motorcycle compared to other modes of transportation have sparked a tsunami of similar incentives nationally and across the United States.
With the release of a report by Alexandria city officials last month indicating the city’s goal to launch its own e-bike rebate program this summer, the wave of e-bike incentives is possibly, regardless, successful in Virginia. While Rep. Josh Thomas, D-Gainesville’s bike voucher bill, survives the upcoming General Assembly consultation, the two-wheeler revolution may also spread across the Commonwealth.
Thanks to Clean Car Standards and President Joe Biden urging U. S. automakers to move away from fossil fuels, electric cars are now widely regarded as America’s primary solution to the climate crisis, and they’ve also become political footballs. The biggest impact on people’s mobility and the environment is the modest e-bike.
The 280 million electric bikes on the planet (compared to just 20 million electric cars) reduce global oil demand by about a million barrels per day, four times more than what electric cars replace. As cars are smaller and lighter than cars, the production of electric bicycles also consumes many fewer resources and produces much less carbon. The same amount of raw material that goes into a Hummer EV, as President Biden has promoted, could produce just 400 e-bike batteries.
However, environmental benefits are probably not the explanation for why e-bike sales outpaced e-car purchases nationwide last year with about 300,000 units. The biggest appeal of e-bikes lies in their strength as a fun and riding option.
“For other people who reported on the e-bike revolution, they probably wouldn’t see how vital it is,” said Jim Durham, director of advocacy for the Virginia Cycling Federation. “The vast majority of people who own electric motorcycles are replacing car rides with bike rides, indicating that they are more commonly used for transportation. Cargo motorcycles greatly increase the number of trips you can take by bike, such as running errands or going to school.
More than a portion of all trips made across Americans are less than 3 miles; 28% are within one mile. This means that with good enough infrastructure and easy access to e-bikes, the maximum in the US can be diverted from deadly, polluting, single-use hungry cars to two-wheeled vehicles.
Many Americans realize the strength of e-bikes when injury or age limits their ability to get around by car or bike. Alexandria City Councilmember Sarah Bagley’s nerve injury to her arm this summer limited her mobility until a friend recommended she try an e-bike. .
“My e-bike let me get back to moving faster because it takes the stress off of my body,” she said. “I wasn’t a believer before I had my own, but this has really reaffirmed my belief that e-bikes are a game changer for shorter trips like running errands, and they open up opportunities for people of an advanced age or with disabilities to get around their community.”
Yes to Array: My new electric motorcycle allowed me to ?meet a friend outside the seminary for a run yesterday. When you return home, the best recovery. Thank you #REI Bike Sale!#alexandriava #emotorcycle #seminaryroad #itsnotcheating https://t. co/LIEasJa7lp pic. twitter. com/rcnOaC4GOR
– Sarah of Alexandria (@SarahforALX) August 1, 2023
Bagley bought her e-bike during a 40% off flash sale that lowered the sticker price from its original one, over $1,000. This put her e-bike in a range she could afford, similar to how rebates across the country are doing for other e-bike buyers. After just two months of riding she asked city staff to explore an e-bike incentive program to spread her joy to her fellow Alexandrians.
Their report, released just a few weeks ago, detailed how grant funding and money developers pay into the city’s transportation management plan could potentially cover the cost of e-bike rebates as early as this coming summer. A tiered rebate program similar to Denver’s, which offers more assistance to low-income residents, is the preferred path forward, but for those who live in homes without safe and secure bike storage, the report suggests subsidized Capital Bikeshare memberships.
“There’s a need for investment at the state level, but what I’m hoping to do by piloting things at the local level is get e-bikes into the hands of interested citizens whose mobility is being challenged lately by the economy and infrastructure,” Bagley said. Then it’s a win-win situation. “
Given that Virginia’s e-bike bill is recently being drafted through the General Assembly’s Legislative Services Division, no one knows precisely yet what Del’s law will entail. The bill may simply provide for a statewide review, propose a pilot program, or simply take it into consideration. how the Commonwealth could implement incentives for e-bikes. Lawmakers, business experts and advocates have plenty of questions to answer ahead of a potential rebate rollout.
“I don’t think Virginia’s network of motorcycle shops is as well organized as car dealers are when they run discounts,” Durham said, referring to the electric car rebate program approved and left unfunded by state lawmakers three years ago. years. “A state-owned company would set up a bureaucratic operation to take into account the programs, assign voucher numbers and then reimburse the motorcycle workshops. “
Recent research by PlanRVA on e-bike incentives across the country uncovered 112 such programs, giving Virginia policymakers enough opportunities to be informed about their delight and put the most productive practices into practice. People for Bikes, a national advocacy organization that promotes more safety and more inclusive cycling, is an organization that offers many recommendations on how to design incentives to drive the e-bike revolution.
“In general, we say $300 to $400 is the minimum amount to inspire other people to get a higher-quality car replacement in the long run,” said Ash Lovell, director of e-bike policy and campaign at People for Bikes. The amount can increase from there: many incentives give other people more for shipping motorcycles and offer more to other people with lower incomes. “
Lovell also recommends vouchers rather than reductions, as a reduction at the point of purchase is far less intimidating to consumers than having to put all the money up front for an e-bike and then expect a refund, especially for low-income consumers. Lovell believes it also won’t restrict people’s access to e-bike assistance.
“Denver also allows businesses and nonprofits to apply for vouchers so they can build fleets of e-bikes for their workers or those they serve at a task center or homeless shelter, for example. example,” Lovell said.
Whatever the form of the e-bike incentive systems proposed in Alexandria and in the General Assembly (38 million Americans have ridden an e-bike this year), Durham is confident that calls for such systems will increase over time.
“I’m confident in our chances of getting an e-bike bill through the General Assembly in 2024, but this is the first year we’ve proposed it, so there’s an educational hurdle and it can just be challenging,” he said. “But it’s the right thing to do for Virginia, even though it will take her a few years to adopt it. “
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a network of grant-backed news bureaus and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains its editorial independence. If you have any questions, please contact Editor Sarah Vogelsong: info@virginiamercury. com. Follow the Virginia Mercury on Facebook and Twitter.
Wyatt Gordon covers transportation, housing, and land use for the Mercury through a grant from the Piedmont Environmental Council and the Coalition for Smarter Growth. The Mercury retains full editorial control. Previously he’s written for the Times of India, Nairobi News, Honolulu Civil Beat, Style Weekly and RVA Magazine. He also works as a policy manager for land use and transportation at the Virginia Conservation Network.
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