Federal E-Bike Rebate Back on the Table
Electric cars are eligible for a federal tax rebate, but electric bikes are not. A federal e-bike rebate provision didn’t make it into the final version of the climate and infrastructure bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. But Congressman Jimmy Panetta, who represents District 19 along California’s central coast, today introduced the Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment (E-BIKE) Act.
The E-BIKE Act would provide a refundable federal income tax rebate of up to 30% of the cost of buying an e-bike, capped at $1,500. The rebate would be available to people earning up to $150,000 for single people, up to $300,000 for a two-person household. Because it’s a refundable tax credit, people who owe less in tax than the amount of the incentive will get a check for the difference and income-qualified applicants may be able to take the rebate as a point of sale discount.
CalBike strongly supports this legislation, as do many of our allies, including the League of American Bicyclists, which has long advocated for a measure like this. “The League knows life is better for everyone when more people ride bikes, and we know e-bikes make biking a more accessible and easier option for more Americans,” said Bill Nesper, the League’s executive director. “We’re encouraged by congressional leadership on the E-BIKE Act, a bill that, if passed, will enable Americans to fight climate change and improve public health through the simple act of bicycling.”
Use the League’s action tool to email your representatives and tell them to support the E-BIKE Act.
“E-bikes are not just a fad for a select few, they are a legitimate and practical form of transportation that can help reduce our carbon emissions,” said Congressman Panetta. “My legislation will make it easier for more people from all socio-economic levels to own e-bikes and contribute to cutting our carbon output. By incentivizing the use of electric bicycles to replace car trips through a consumer tax credit, we can not only encourage more Americans to transition to greener modes of transportation but also help fight the climate crisis.”
CalBike’s policy director, Jared Sanchez, said, “The route the E-BIKE Act takes to encourage bike ridership and reducing carbon emissions is different from the program we helped shape in California, but the goals are the same. An income tax rebate will help many more Americans choose this healthy, economical mode of transportation.”
CalBike focuses most of our efforts on advocacy within California, but we’ll be supporting our national partners in helping to get this critical bill through Congress. We’ll let you know about opportunities to reach out to representatives and senators to support a federal rebate for e-bike purchases.
