rebate | 511 Contra Costa

E-Bike Incentives Get People Biking More

According to the California Bicycle Coalition, more than fifteen percent of vehicle trips made in California are less than one mile. Eighty percent are less than ten miles. This makes an e-bike a great choice for replacing car trips. However, the cost of e-bikes are one of the strongest barriers to adoption, according to a recent study by researchers at UC Davis.

The good news is that both nationwide and statewide, programs offering cash incentives to help individuals purchase e-bikes are on the rise. In California alone, there are at least ten such programs.

To see how people’s travel behavior changed after buying an e-bike using an incentive program, UC Davis researchers evaluated survey data from rebate participants in programs across Northern California – including 511 Contra Costa’s program. They discovered between 35 and 50 percent of e-bike trips made by these individuals would have been made by car if an e-bike had not been available.

Rebate recipients also reported an increase in bicycle use. Two months after getting an e-bike, most reported shifting from biking “never” or 1-3 times a month to 1-3 times a week.

As for how getting an e-bike affected their driving habits, most e-bike rebate recipients replaced driving trips with riding e-bikes at least 1–3 times per month. Across the study group, a large share of respondents (82%) reported replacing at least one car trip with an e-bike ride.

The takeaway is that e-bike incentive programs work. And the majority of people who purchase e-bikes change their driving and biking behaviors, which helps reduce both traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

Let us help get you on an e-bike! Our E-Bike Rebate Program, which started three years ago, is still going strong. It offers rebates of $150, $300, and $500 to Contra Costa County residents. You have six months from the date you buy an e-bike to apply, so if you bought an e-bike recently, be sure to apply today!

Going Electric: Webinars About EV Ownership & Incentives

If you’re considering making the switch to driving electric, Drive Clean Bay Area hosts a series of virtual events to help you find the right electric vehicle for your budget and lifestyle. These events are online, free, and open to the public.

Click any link below to see upcoming events in that series of webinars:

If you have questions and can’t make it to one of these Zoom webinars, email Drive Clean Bay Area at info@drivecleanbayarea.org.

E-Bike Rebate: If you purchase an e-bike or have an e-bike conversion kit professionally installed, be sure to apply for a rebate from 511 Contra Costa. Rebates of up to $300 are available while supplies last. Learn more at 511cc.org/rebate.

In the U.S., an E-Bike is Purchased Every 52 Seconds

Last year, 600,000 e-bikes were sold in the United States, which works out to one e-bike sold every 52 seconds. For the majority of buyers, this isn’t about cycling as much as investing in mobility:

“Most of the e-bikes being sold are being used for transportation, not recreation. They are often replacing cars on commutes to work or to the store.”

Treehugger, “The E-Bike Spike Continues”

With a much lower price tag than an electric vehicle (EV), the e-bike is a cost-effective way to go electric, save money, and help improve air quality:

“E-bikes can offer a cheaper alternative to car travel… [and] can be useful tools for reducing CO2 emissions, urban noise, and inner city traffic. Lastly, e-bikes encourage users to cycle farther and more often than conventional bicycles.”

Study: “The E-Bike Potential

If you’re interested in buying an e-bike, 511 Contra Costa wants to help. We’re currently offering cash rebates of up to $300 on the purchase of a new e-bike. What brand of e-bike you buy and where you buy it is up to you, just be sure to save the receipt so you can apply for your rebate.

NOTE: If you purchased a new e-bike anytime after October 1, 2020 you can apply for your rebate now.