Denver offers residents instant rebates on e-bike purchases

The City of Denver is offering residents US$400 rebates on the purchase of e-bikes as part of a newly launched climate action programme.

Low-income residents are eligible for larger concessions – up to US$1,200 – through the scheme, with the city also offering an additional US$500 instant rebate on e-cargo bikes.

The initiatives are part of Denver’s wider Climate Protection Fund – approved by voters in 2020 – which provides rebates on all-electric energy equipment such as heat pumps and solar panels.

The fund generates about $40 million each year through a 0.25 percent sales tax increase that goes towards tackling climate change, with US$9 million ringfenced for the e-bike scheme over the next three years.

“If we can make adopting electric equipment easy and cost-effective, and in some instances free, we are removing barriers for homeowners ready to make that switch,” said Grace Rink, Denver’s Chief Climate Officer.

“This programme will reduce energy costs, improve our health and air quality, and get us that much closer to our city’s ambitious climate goals.”

Eligibility

All Denver residents aged 16 and over are eligible for the rebates, while low-income residents must be enrolled in one of seven welfare programmes or have a household income below a certain threshold.

The programme is one element of the city’s five-year plan to address climate change, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65 percent by 2030, compared to 2019 levels.

The city says it will monitor who is receiving the rebates to ensure they are reaching under-resourced neighbourhoods.

Other US cities have introduced similar schemes in recent years, including Austin, Texas, which offers a US$300 rebate on new e-bikes.

Several states are currently working on more sweeping reforms, including New York which recently introduced a bill that would offer a 50 percent rebate on e-bikes worth up to US$1,500.

At the federal level, the Build Back Better Act – approved by the House of Representatives in November – includes the E-Bike Act, which would provide a 30 percent tax credit over five years for the purchase of an e-bike.

This would equate to a maximum US$900 rebate, should the Act be passed into law.

Image: Joe Haupt (Flickr)