You could get up to $2,000 for purchasing an electric bike. Beginning December 18, low-income California residents can apply for the state’s new office E-bike incentive project.

The base incentive voucher is $1,750, but applicants with certain qualifications can receive up to $2,000. Because this is a voucher, not a refund, you will receive the discount at the time of purchase. The money can also be used to buy things like helmets, locks and lights, as well as cover delivery costs.

Applications Open December 18th at 6 p.m and are examined on a first come, first served basis. Therefore, it is a good idea to gather the required documents in advance. Further details can be found below.

Who is eligible?

You must be at least 18 years old and make less than 300% of the federal poverty level. That means a two-person household making less than $61,320 per year would be eligible. You can view all eligibility requirements and income limits Here.

Applicants must, among other things, provide ID and proof of income and take an online security course. Approval can take up to 60 days.

There are also Requirements which e-bikes can be purchased with the voucher. Once you receive your voucher, you must purchase a bike from a participating retailer. You can find a map of approved retailers here Here.

Only 1,500 vouchers are expected to be awarded in this first round of applications. Applications will then be opened every three to four months until the funding has been exhausted.

Why it matters

E-bikes are quickly gaining popularity, but they are expensive: the safest and most reliable models often cost more than $1,000. The voucher program, promoted by bicycle and transit mobility advocates, aims to expand access to a more sustainable form of transportation, particularly in communities burdened by pollution and with less access to cleaner energy and transportation options.

Larger picture: E-bikes can help reduce environmental pollutionbut so far they do not receive the same incentives as, for example, electric cars. Pollutants from the tailpipes of cars and trucks come from California largest source of planetary warming and harmful pollution.

Research has shown that switching to e-bikes can actually help reduce this pollution significantly – a Portland-based study found that drivers could reduce their carbon emissions by 12% if they changed their routines and used e-bikes more often instead of their cars for some shorter trips.

Most of us don’t drive that far every day. Almost in the USA 60% of trips occur within 5 miles or less. In the city of LA, people drive On average about 9 miles every weekdaywhich most e-bikes can easily handle the return journey.

If you use an e-bike instead of a car 15% more often, you could reduce your CO2 emissions by an average of 225 kilograms per year. That’s equivalent to the amount of planet-heating emissions emitted by a gasoline-powered car 558 miles.

Some things to keep in mind

E-bikes can be more accessible to people who may not be able to ride a traditional bike. They are less tiring and can cover longer distances without much effort. There are also adaptive e-bikes, such as tricycle-style bikes, for people who may not be able to ride a regular e-bike. Plus, they’re fun.

But with their higher speeds and lithium batteries, they also pose some dangers. There were sensational incidents Deaths of people who ride e-bikes, as well Fires triggered by improperly stored, defective or poorly converted e-bikes.

A rise in e-bike accidents has driven this new e-bike rules in Orange County, For example. Bicycle advocates say cycling safety is a long-term problem, with more problems to come This is due to the lack of good cycling infrastructure on the roadsand not the e-bikes themselves. Therefore, when it comes to fires caused by e-bikes, it is very important to buy a safety-certified and well-built e-bike and to know how to properly charge and store the bike. The politics of what exactly an e-bike is has also not kept pace with the increasing popularity.

These problems are partly why There are strict requirements as to which types of e-bikes are eligible for purchase under the new voucher program.

Go deeper

Read our previous coverage of expanding e-bike access, particularly through e-bike share programs.

More e-bike resources

The advocacy group Cal Bike has a list of incentives for buying e-bikes.

Local e-bike rental programs (most of which are still in the pilot phase):