e-bikes 2021 Archives

How to Get a Clean Cars for All E-Bike Voucher in the Bay Area

September 1, 2022/in The Latest /by Laura McCamy

During a recent meeting of the CARB Electric Bicycle Incentives Work Group, the comments made it evident that there are lots of Californians trying to figure out how to get help to afford an e-bike. The incentives program, which CalBike helped pass last year, will provide vouchers to low-income Californians for an e-bike purchase. When it comes online in early 2023, it will offer incentives of $750 to $1,500 toward an e-bike purchase.

However, if you don’t want to wait and you have an old car you’re ready to get rid of, you may qualify for a considerably higher voucher to buy e-bikes for multiple family members. A few years ago, CalBike got the Clean Cars for All program to include vouchers to purchase an e-bike as one of the options (the program offers incentives of up to $9,500 toward an electric car for people who turn in an older, gas-powered vehicle).

It’s not straightforward to figure out how to get a Clean Cars e-bike voucher, and each local air management district administers its own program, so there may be regional differences. We spoke with Berkeley resident Vicki Davis about her experience getting a voucher and a new e-bike through the program administered by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).

An e-bike that solves two problems

Vicki Davis and daughters — Vicki Davis with daughters Lyra (on back of bike) and Holly

During the pandemic, Davis’ older daughter went on bike rides with her dad for her PE requirement. Davis couldn’t join them because she has asthma and other health issues that would make it hard for her to keep up. Plus, she didn’t have a bike. Her younger daughter hasn’t learned to ride, so the two of them were stuck at home while the other half of their family had all the fun.

Her family had another problem: A 2000 Camry, her husband’s old car, with an unreliable battery. “Over the pandemic, he really got into biking and was using his car less and less,” she says, “and we would get tickets almost every month for street sweeping.”

The Clean Cars for All program solved both problems. Davis was able to take the Camry off the road, and, in return, the program gave her a voucher to buy one or more e-bikes. “We got $7,500, which is more than we could have gotten [for the Camry] had we sold it,” she says. She and her husband don’t have to worry about parking tickets, registration, or getting the car to pass smog. And Davis has a brand new Rad Runner Plus that allows her to keep up with her husband and older daughter and take her younger child for a ride on the back.

Here are the basics of the Clean Cars for All e-bike voucher program, including the timing and tips from Davis on navigating the process.

Step 1: Have an eligible car to trade and meet eligibility requirements

To qualify for a Clean Cars for All voucher, you must meet the program’s eligibility requirements. In the Bay Area, that includes living in an eligible zip code, meeting the income requirement (income within 400% of the Federal Poverty Level), owning a car that falls within the program parameters, and being a first-time applicant to the program.

The car must be drivable to qualify. Davis’ Camry had 180,000 miles on it and was in decent condition, but she was happy to scrap it. “It was basically like paying rent to have it parked on our street,” she says.

Step 2: Fill out lots of paperwork

“The very first step is preapproving that you can even apply,” Davis says. That part of the process was quick.

Once she was preapproved, she could submit paperwork proving her income and ownership of the car. The website was not mobile-friendly, which presented an extra challenge.

When her husband found out about the program through a post on Twitter, he didn’t believe it was real, but he sent her the information, and she submitted the application because they were desperate to get rid of their second car. It took so long for her to hear back from BAAQMD that she figured it wasn’t real or the program had run out of money, but she finally got approved.

She submitted paperwork through an online portal where she could check her application status and can now check the balance on her voucher and get purchases approved.

Pro Tip: Davis notes that the program promotes itself as a subsidy to buy an EV, and it’s harder to find the e-bike option. In the Bay Area, that option is listed under Mobility Options, which includes a grant for transit passes. When you choose what kind of voucher you want, it looks like you’re opting for a transit pass — the e-bike grant is in small print.

Step 3: Get the car inspected at a salvage yard.

“I think a lot of the delays were me, to be honest,” Davis says. It took her a while to complete the many steps of the process, and, she adds, scrapping the car was a whole second chore that she hadn’t bargained on. She had to get the battery working to drive the vehicle to the salvage yard for inspection.

There was an issue with the yard sending her documents through to the Clean Cars program, and getting the information sent again was a big hassle. Her tip: “Keep copies of things. Follow up.”

Step 4: Wait.

Davis found out she was eligible to apply for a Clean Cars voucher in March of 2021. She submitted her paperwork in April. Her status changed to Under Review in July and Approved in November.

Step 5: Take the car back to be junked.

After she was approved, Davis took her car to be junked in November. It took a few more weeks for the grant to come through; she got her voucher in late December of 2021.

Step 6: Buy your new e-bike, accessories, and more

Davis bought a Rad Runner Plus Class 2 e-bike for about $2,100, including tax and accessories. “The thing I really like about the one I got is that it has a seat on the back for my younger daughter,” she says.

She chose the Rad Runner even though her voucher would have enabled her to get a more expensive e-bike because it fit her style better. She likes having the throttle option so she can keep going if she gets too tired.

The voucher is on a pre-loaded credit card, and Davis can submit what she wants to buy beforehand to get it pre-approved or approved after the purchase. She must load receipts for each purchase and show that it’s related to her e-bike. When she needed an extension cord for charging and bought a milk crate for an inexpensive basket, she had to load photos of the items in use since they weren’t classified as bike accessories.

With the $4,600 she has left, she can buy e-bikes for other family members, and she’s going to see if she can get a bike rack to put her e-bike on the back of the family car. She also has the option to convert the balance into money for transit passes. The program gives her up to three years to spend the funds.

Step 7: Ride everywhere and have a blast!

Davis is having a great time riding her new e-bike with her husband and kids. “We rode over the Bay Bridge, which was so exciting,” she says. She’s been taking her younger daughter to and from school by bike and riding alongside her older daughter to Berkeley High.

“Even though it’s an electric bike and I use the assist, I am getting exercise,” Davis says. Some of the things she loves about being able to bike now include “going places where we don’t have to worry about parking” and “not having to stress about my second car.” She’s getting less nervous about riding and expanding her comfort zone; she recently did her first ride in the dark.

If you think you might qualify for the Clean Cars for All program and would like an e-bike voucher, check the program webpages for information on where to apply in your region.

CalBike Supporters Make Big Impression at CARB E-Bike Work Group Meeting

August 26, 2022/in The Latest /by Laura McCamy

On August 24, 200 people showed up for a Work Group Meeting for the Electric Bicycle Incentives Project held by the California Air Resources Board. It was a big turnout for a meeting held during the workday on a Wednesday afternoon. But it’s not surprising considering the tremendous interest in the program (CalBike’s interest list for the program has more than 6,600 people — scroll down to sign up).

The meeting included a lot of great feedback and some breaking news: the announcement of the program administrator. Here’s what happened and what’s next for the e-bike incentives program.

CalBike supporters make a strong showing

CalBike had little notice of this meeting, and it became clear that CARB isn’t used to its programs receiving so much interest and input from the public. The facilitators were overwhelmed by the number of comments and questions; at one point, 50 people were waiting to speak.

A big thank you to everyone who could participate in a meeting during the workday with little advance notice. We must keep the pressure on CARB to be more transparent and take more public input. Many commenters mentioned CalBike, which strengthens our position to negotiate on your behalf to create a robust and successful program.

There will be a follow-up to the August 24 meeting because there wasn’t time to take everyone’s comments. Even if you registered to attend that meeting, you won’t automatically get notified about the follow-up and future meetings. Please subscribe to CARB’s e-bike mailing list to learn about e-bike work group meetings. And sign CalBike’s e-bike list to get the latest updates and learn how you can get involved.

[insert sign-up form]

Program basics revealed

At the meeting, the outlines of the program became clear, though it’s not clear whether public input could change some of the details.

CARB’s current program specs:

To qualify for the incentive program, participants’ household income is capped at 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL). That’s $51,000 for a single person and $106,000 for a family of four.
Vouchers will be up to $750 for a regular e-bike and up to $1,500 for a cargo or adaptive e-bike. People whose income is under 225% FPL or who live in disadvantaged communities qualify for additional incentives.
The program will support the purchase of Class 1 (up to 20 mph, pedal assist only) and Class 2 (up to 20 mph, pedal assist and throttle) e-bikes. Class 3 (up to 28 mph, pedal assist only) will be excluded.
Participants must purchase a bike from a California bike shop or online from a company with a business location in California.

The program will launch in the first quarter of 2023. The law creating the program specified a start date of July 1, 2022, but, as a CARB administrator explained at the meeting, one to two years is the minimum needed to launch a brand new program at a state agency.

View CARB’s presentation.

Most of the discussion at the meeting centered on the income caps. In California, 55% of the population (about 21 million people) makes less than 400% of the FPL and would qualify for e-bike incentives under the current program. The income caps match those of other clean vehicle programs administered by the Air Resources Board (Clean Vehicle Rebate Project and Clean Cars for All).

The program has $10 million in funding, which may cover an estimated 7,000 e-bike vouchers at the proposed funding levels. For perspective, CalBike’s interest list for the program currently has more than 6,600 people on it — almost enough to fill the whole program if everyone qualified.

Several people on the call expressed interest in getting help to buy an e-bike but said they wouldn’t qualify under the proposed income caps. Commenters were divided between wanting the incentives to go only to low-income households and advocating for some portion of the money to be made available to higher-income people.

E-Bike incentives administrator named

The standalone e-bike incentive program will be administered by a third party, with a single application process for all Californians. That will make the program easier to access.

E-bike vouchers through the Clean Cars for All program, which CalBike helped pass, took a long time to roll out (partly due to pandemic delays) and aren’t uniformly available. Regional air resources boards were tasked with adding e-bike vouchers to their program; some regions have the program up and running while others don’t.

CARB was considering three nonprofits to administer the program and announced during the work group meeting that it has chosen Pedal Ahead, based in San Diego. Pedal Ahead has run a local e-bike program in San Diego since 2020. Streetsblog’s article about the meeting has more background on the chosen administrator.

Next steps: second meeting, CalBike follow-up

CARB has posted a recording of the August 24 work group meeting (see below). It had already planned another work group meeting for later in the fall but will add another meeting because there was too little time to get to the public comment at the August meeting. If you can’t attend a meeting or weren’t able to comment at the last meeting, you can email feedback to the CARB at CleanTransportationIncentives@arb.ca.gov.

CalBike is following up on the meeting with a technical letter to CARB to advocate for a robust program, and we will meet with CARB staff in the coming months to help guide the program launch. Our main goal is for this first year to be an instant success, showing Sacramento that the $10 million allocated for the pilot is just a start and that e-bike subsidies should be an annual budget item. In future years, we hope to see most of the funds set aside for low-income Californians but some help provided for middle-income residents.

We’ll need your help to keep up the pressure.

Video of the August 24, 2002 CARB Electric Bicycle Incentives Project Work Group Meeting

Update: E-Bike Voucher Program Moving Forward — Slowly

July 15, 2022/in The Latest /by Jared Sanchez

When the legislature allocated $10 million for e-bike subsidies in the budget for this fiscal year, it included language stating that the program would launch on July 1, 2022. However, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has moved more slowly, so the program is not yet ready to launch. Here’s what we do and don’t know about California’s statewide e-bike voucher program.

What’s the current status of the e-bike voucher program?

CARB is working on selecting a vendor to administer the program. We expect the agency to announce the vendor soon.

When will e-bike vouchers become available?

It’s not clear yet how soon the program will begin offering vouchers for e-bike purchases. Once a program administrator is in place, we hope to start getting more information, including a timeline for implementation.

What is CalBike’s role in the e-bike voucher program?

CalBike advocated for the $10 million budget allocation to help Californians buy e-bikes. We continue to follow the program closely and work with CARB to ensure that the vendor administers the program effectively and equitably.

CalBike doesn’t have any authority to set the rules of the e-bike program or give out vouchers. Our role as an outside watchdog allows us to advocate for things that will make the program successful, such as providing large enough grants to make an e-bike truly affordable.

CalBike will also continue to spread the word about e-bike vouchers, particularly once they become available so that the program is a success and we can have a much larger budget allocation next year!

Who is eligible for an e-bike voucher?

The eligibility criteria haven’t been firmly established. Still, early indications are that there will be an income eligibility requirement, with all or most of the first $10 million in funding going to low-income California residents.

We hope to get more information about eligibility once the vendor outlines an implementation plan, and we will share that information once we have it.

How much will the e-bike subsidies be?

The program administrator will set e-bike subsidy levels.

How do I apply for an e-bike purchase voucher?

There’s no application process in place as yet; the program administrator will put that in place.

What if the e-bike program runs out of money?

If the e-bike program quickly distributes all its funds, that would demonstrate the demand for this subsidy, and we would consider that a success. CalBike will advocate for more funding in future budgets, and we hope the program will secure funding to continue without interruption.

How do I find out more about e-bike purchase incentives?

Please sign our list to get updates about the program. Going forward, we expect to send more frequent updates as the details of the e-bike voucher program unfold.

Next Steps for California’s E-Bike Voucher Program

April 13, 2022/in The Latest /by Kevin Claxton

Last week, the California Air Resources Board finally issued its request for proposals to administer the $10 million electric bicycle purchase incentive program. CalBike worked with Assembly champions Tasha Boerner Horvath and Richard Bloom to get the program approved in 2021.

CalBike members and a number of industry leaders have supported our work to shape the program to meet our goals:

Replacing car trips with bike trips
Supporting low-income Californians
Supporting all kinds of e-bikes, including cargo bikes, bikes for people with disabilities
Supporting retail shops and community organizations
Providing safety education
Moving quickly, in order to get more funding in future years

How well those goals are met will depend upon who gets the contract to administer the program and how they operate it. CalBike’s first impression of CARB’s RFP is that it’s likely to produce great results. The RFP emphasizes quick action and reducing car trips, and it calls for low administrative costs, which means more bikes in the hands of more people.

CARB is accepting applications until May 10. It will choose the administrator by June 10 and deliver the funds by July 1, as required by law.

E-bike vouchers will become available a few months after July 1; the exact date of launch will depend on the timeline of the vendor selected to administer the program.

CalBike is working with potential applicants to make sure their proposals are as strong as possible. To stay informed about the process, sign up to receive updates.

Making California’s E-Bike Affordability Program Successful

February 9, 2022/in The Latest /by Kevin Claxton

Thanks to support from our members, CalBike won a $10 million appropriation in this year’s budget to help Californians purchase electric bikes. The California Air Resources Board will administer the program, which must be operating by July of 2022.

The program will distribute vouchers to people who meet income eligibility requirements. The CARB will release a Request for Proposals to implement the program in the next couple of months, detailing important goals and specifications to shape voucher distribution.

CalBike is working with CARB to help ensure that the implementation meets CalBike’s objectives for this program. Here’s what we know so far.

Which types of e-bikes are eligible for the voucher program?

“Electric bicycles eligible for the incentives include, but are not limited to, those designed for people with disabilities; utility bicycles for carrying equipment or passengers, including children; and folding bicycles.”

Who will be eligible for e-bike purchase incentives?

The Air Resources Board has signaled its intent to restrict eligibility to low-income households (defined as households with income less than four times the federal poverty level, or $51,520 for an individual, or $106,000 for a family of four). The income restriction is not required by law, and CARB’s electric vehicle incentive program doesn’t include any income requirements.

CalBike and the more than 50 organizations that supported the program advocated for at least 80% of the funds to go to low-income households. We wanted 20% of the vouchers available to middle-income families to allow for broader funding distribution. Plus, it would have recognized that, like EVs, e-bikes are a civic good, and the state wants to encourage people to choose this form of transportation.

CalBike supports this initial round of funding going exclusively to disadvantaged people. However, it will take more than a grant to make the program successful. The upfront cost of a quality e-bike will be out of reach for most low-income people, even with a hefty subsidy. To ensure that everyone can access this incentive, we want the program to include an arrangement with a lender to will provide low- or zero-interest loans to buyers so that they can pay for an e-bike in installments.

The role of community-based organizations

A bike purchase incentive program differs from an electric vehicle incentive program because many potential recipients don’t already recognize how a bike could improve their lives. Everyone (almost) wants a car and would welcome a purchase subsidy, but the same is not true for bikes.

That’s why CalBike sees an essential role for nonprofits in distributing the funds. If community organizations serving low-income people are able to make extremely low-cost e-bikes available to their constituencies, they can engage and educate about how to use the bike to replace car trips. A nonprofit can also provide bike safety information and classes, so grant recipients are confident to ride their e-bikes for transportation. With this support, the e-bike suddenly becomes a viable transportation choice and the subsidy a critical lifeline.

Community-based organizations can also help identify the people who would benefit most from a low-cost e-bike and help spread the word among their constituencies. Plus, they can assist with the paperwork to apply for the grants, and they might be able to combine this subsidy with other funding sources to make bikes truly affordable. These groups can also provide feedback to evaluate the impact of the e-bike affordability program.

The impact of $10M for e-bikes

If designed and administered well, California’s new e-bike affordability program could have an impact far beyond the lives of the people who will be able to buy e-bikes.

First, if CARB successfully markets the program, it will increase awareness of biking as a viable and green transportation option. That, we hope, will create demand to expand the program and increase the funding available to help people buy bikes. And the incentives will put thousands more bicycles on our streets, which will raise the visibility of biking, increase the pressure to build safe bikeways, and encourage more people to hop on a bike. Plus, up to 10% of the funding in this program may be used for bicycle education, so it’s a great opportunity to build skills and confidence for more riders.

We’ll keep you informed when there’s more to know about the e-bike affordability program. Sign up below to be the first to know when the e-bike vouchers become available.

CalBike’s E-Bike Subsidy Program Will Change Lives

December 15, 2021/in The Latest /by Laura McCamy

Erin Shannon’s work as a project administrator for a general contractor takes her to project sites or to the main office, which means a commute from Oakland to San Francisco or South San Francisco. “I had to drive to and from. That was an hour or hour and a half to get there and up to three hours to get home,” she says. “It was not okay.” Taking transit wasn’t any better, particularly since part of the commute would involve tricky timing to catch a shuttle. Her health suffered. “I was absolutely miserable,” she recalls.

Three things happened to change Shannon’s life. “I had one of my best friends pass away and it made me want to change my life, to live,” she says. “Then I met someone.” Her new friend was a “heavy-duty bicyclist.” So, when her car got totaled, her friend helped her use the insurance money to buy an e-bike. He set up her bike so it is really comfortable to ride.

With the e-bike, Shannon was able to change her commute from being stuck in traffic to riding to and from public transit. “I had been really depressed before I started moving so much,” she says. “I feel healthier, mentally as well as physically.”

CalBike’s long campaign for e-bike purchase incentives

CalBike’s goal is to create a healthier and more equitable California by making biking accessible to more people. We do that by advocating for state funding for bikeways and changes to laws and regulations to create safer streets. E-bikes, because they make the life-changing joy of bicycling accessible to a wider range of people, are a vital part of that strategy.

“Electric bikes make biking a viable transportation choice for a broader range of people,” says Dave Snyder, CalBike’s executive director. “But, with the price of an average e-bike at $1,500 or more, many people need help to make that purchase. California gives incentives to help people buy EVs; it should do the same for e-bikes.”

In 2019, CalBike helped pass SB 400 (Umberg), which added e-bike vouchers to the Clean Cars 4 All program. The program, administered by the California Air Resources Board, allows lower-income Californians to trade in polluting automobiles and receive vouchers toward an EV purchase. And now, thanks to SB 400, you can get a voucher for an e-bike purchase. Check out the program on your local Air Quality Control Board website to get the specifics for your area.

However, the SB 400 roll-out was delayed by the pandemic in 2020. In addition, unlike the electric car vouchers, the bike program is restricted to low-income people, and you have to have a qualifying car to turn in. We knew we needed to do more.

E-bike subsidies work

Monica delaCruz used to get around San Diego on a bike she bought off craigslist or by arranging rides with friends. “I’m the type of person, I like to go out a lot, do arts things, political things,” she says. But she felt dependent on rides when she wanted to go further, so she ended up staying home more because it was too much effort to go out.

Buying an e-bike was not part of the plan for delaCruz because she assumed it was out of her price range. “I was not going to pay that much for a bike,” she says. But when she heard about a county program in San Diego that would give her an e-bike if she agreed to log her miles and share her trips, she jumped at the chance.

“I just feel like my radius around my house where I’m comfortable going for picking up dinner or meeting friends is bigger,” she says. “Weather doesn’t matter as much, terrain doesn’t matter as much.” She adds, “I feel like I’m way more connected to any place that I need to go in San Diego.”

One of the biggest changes was her commute to National City, which can take up to an hour with multiple transit connections. “Now, I can get to the more convenient transit station because I’m not worrying about going up and down the hill,” delaCruz says. She can take her e-bike on the trolley and ride to her office, cutting her commute down to 20 minutes.

She has also found solace on her bike. “Sometimes, in the middle of the day, if it’s not too hot, I’ll take a ride. For me it’s really relaxing,” she says. Some of her friends have e-bikes through the same program and they sometimes meet up and ride. “Now it’s more social and relaxed to go on a bike ride together when you’re not worried about being out of breath talking.”

Now, delaCruz would like to get another e-bike and a purchase incentive would make that much more possible for her.

With an electric boost, people ride more often and go farther by bike

As we ramped up our 2021 E-bike purchase incentive campaign, we asked CalBike members and supporters for their e-bike stories. Dozens of people wrote to tell us how an e-bike purchase had changed the way they get around.

The electric boost helps people keep riding through age or health issues. Some people turned to e-bikes to help them get up hills or ride with children. Many shared that their e-bikes turned long commutes into fun and doable rides and made running errands a breeze.

Brian Cox uses his e-bike for a 20-mile commute from Placentia to Irvine. “I am not a recreational cyclist,” he says. “I ride my bike because it’s a reason to get to work. It’s a total transportation alternative for me.” He started bike commuting in 2007 as a way to get outside and get more exercise. But the e-bike reduced his commute time each way by a third and enables him to ride five days a week instead of two.

Brian Cox e-bike — Brian Cox on his e-bike

He monitors his heart rate while he rides and finds it’s only 10 bpm less on the e-bike than on his classic bike. And studies have shown that riding e-bikes keep riders fit because they tend to ride longer distances and more often than they would have on a manual bike.

Cox rides a Class 3 e-bike with a top speed of 28 mph, which helps him feel safe sharing the road with cars. “They have a lot more opportunity to see me than if I’m going 10 and they’re going 40,” he says. “With people’s distractions, that little bit of time can be a lifesaver.”

As VP of Operations for Jax Bicycles, Cox didn’t have to buy his e-bike. It is his “company car,” owned by his employer, which also pays employees $3 a day for commuting to work by bike.

He has seen e-bike sales shoot up in the last five years at his stores. “My hope and dream is that people will start to recognize that they have an option to maybe ride their bicycle to work now that they’ve got an e-bike,” he says. He hopes that e-bike rebates will raise awareness about what’s possible.

Erin-Shannon-1 — Shannon encourages others to bike by posting her bike joy on Instagram.

Radical joy

In a huge victory for low-carbon transportation in California, CalBike secured $10 million in funding for e-bike purchase incentives. Unlike rebates or tax breaks, which require people to front the money for a purchase and get it back later, the program will give people credits that they can use to buy an e-bike. That makes the program useful and accessible to people who wouldn’t otherwise have the money to buy an e-bike.

When CARB launches the program in July 2022, it will put 10,000 or more new e-bikes on the road across California. Shannon and delaCruz give us a window into the impact that will have on people’s lives and their happiness.

“I think we need to change our idea about how we get from point a to point B,” delaCruz says. “This is how I get places. This is my form of transit.” She definitely rides more miles now that she has an e-bike.

She also thinks the e-bike revolution can change how we think about who bikes. “Everybody thinks of the bike commuter being the 2% body fat guy with lycra,” delaCruz says. “I’m fat, my friends are fat, and I’m seeing more people out with larger bodies. It’s beautiful. I love seeing it around town. And I love being seen too.” E-bikes take away the barrier of worrying about not being able to keep up on a bike or worrying about your fitness level.

Shannon uses her daily commute as a stress-reducer: “I’m outside, the wind is blowing through my hair, I can see birds. It’s pretty beautiful. I feel like Snow White or Mary Poppins,” she says. “I feel powerful when I’m on my bike. And free. And I hadn’t felt that in a long time. That’s pretty amazing.”

“It’s like you’re directly involved in life, instead of being in a little tube. It’s freedom, bottom line.”
– Erin Shannon

And she sees her e-bike as a wise investment. “This bike, when I got it, was the most expensive thing I’ve ever owned outright,” Shannon says. “It was terrifying. But then I thought about it and about how much less I would spend on gas in the car.” She adds, “And I feel like I’m contributing to the environment, not being one of those cars stuck in traffic.”

The benefits of CalBike’s e-bike program will extend beyond the people who will be able to afford new e-bikes. “More people experiencing their roads outside of their car can experience road safety in a different way,” delaCruz says. “I hope it brings safer roads for everybody.”

CalBike’s Snyder sees safety as a major benefit of the new e-bike affordability program. “We’ve seen data this year that shows there is safety in numbers for bike riders on the streets,” he says. “And we know that, when people see more e-bikes and see how much fun people are having, they’re going to want one too.” He’s also looking to the future. “Some European countries have recognized the importance of adding biking to the transportation mix with cash incentives for all types of bikes, or repairs or gear. We’d love to see California offer subsidies on every bike purchase, electric or classic.”

So look for more e-bikes—and more joy—on the road very soon.

CalBike Works with CA Air Resources Board to Develop E-Bike Grant Program

August 16, 2021/in The Latest /by Kevin Claxton

CalBike’s $10 million E-Bike Affordability Program has been fully funded and is now in the planning stages. The program will give grants to help as many as 10,000 Californians buy e-bikes, starting in July 2022.

On Monday, CalBike Executive Director Dave Snyder and José Jimenez from Active San Gabriel Valley (Active SGV) met with the California Air Resources Board staff who are designing the program. Jimenez brought his experience administering a successful and popular e-bike program for Active SGV in 2017.

CARB staff noted that the July 1, 2022 deadline set by the legislature gives them an incredibly tight turnaround. They are working at an accelerated pace to develop a call for proposals to administer the program. But first, they must establish the parameters of that program and get it approved through the many layers of CARB bureaucracy. They were happy to learn of the groundwork we’ve laid.

CARB is planning its first public workgroup for the program on Monday, August 30. Click here to register.

Goals for making e-bikes affordable to more Californians

CalBike is working to make sure the program meets the goals we developed in collaboration with stakeholders from the environmental justice community, local community organizations like Active SGV, local public agencies like utility companies, and disparate sectors of the bike industry.

Help people replace car trips with e-bike trips.
Prioritize grants to individuals from low-income households.
Define eligibility for the program as individuals and households with incomes below the maximum limits established in the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project.
Support related programs and benefits, such as safety education.
Provide support for a variety of electric bicycles, including, but not limited to, bicycles designed for people with disabilities; utility bikes for carrying equipment or passengers, including children; and folding e-bikes.
Support local small businesses and organizations, such as retail bicycle shops and nonprofit organizations, including community bicycle shops.
Collaborate with other state departments and agencies to enforce safeguards against fraudulent activity by sellers and purchasers of e-bikes in accordance with the law.
Ensure that e-bikes purchased through this program meet a high standard of quality and durability.

Victory! $10 Million E-Bike Affordability Program Included in State Budget

July 2, 2021/in Press Release, The Latest /by Nicolay Kreidler

Update, 7/14/21: Governor Newsom signed the budget, ensuring that CalBike’s $10 million e-bike affordability program will be funded! CalBike is continuing to work with legislators and program administrators to make sure the program is implemented equitably.

For Immediate Release: 7/2/21

SACRAMENTO – CalBike is thrilled to announce that legislators approved a $10 million e-bike incentive program in next year’s state budget. Funded as part of the state’s campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, the program will help thousands of Californians get access to e-bikes to replace car trips. Bikes eligible will include bikes “designed for people with disabilities; utility bicycles for carrying equipment or passengers, including children; and folding bicycles.”

CalBike Executive Director Dave Snyder said, “E-Bikes are a great climate investment not just because they don’t emit carbon dioxide, but because thousands of people will learn how safe and fun it can be to replace short car trips with bike trips.”

CalBike, joined by more than 80 allied organizations across the state, submitted a letter of support for Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath’s request for a budget allocation to implement the proposed e-bike incentive program.

“Making e-bikes more affordable is one of the most effective ways to get Californians out of their cars and reduce emissions,” said Assemblymember Boerner Horvath. “I’m thrilled that the full funding I requested for purchase incentives, education, and training is included in the budget we approved. This program represents a priority shift in the right direction and, once implemented, will help folks from all backgrounds choose a healthier, happier way to get around.”

“E-bikes are a key alternative to the automobile for short trips and everyday errands,” said Assemblymember Richard Bloom. “Advanced technology and broad availability are making E-bikes more accessible every day. This funding will provide an incentive that will reduce both traffic congestion and pollution. I am elated that I could play a part in making clean e-bikes more accessible to every Californian.”

The budget language includes:

Electric Bicycle Incentives Project, no later than July 1, 2022, to provide financial incentives for purchasing electric bicycles. Up to 10 percent of the total funding for this purpose is available to support related programs such as safety education programs. Electric bicycles eligible for the incentives include, but are not limited to, those designed for people with disabilities; utility bicycles for carrying equipment or passengers, including children; and folding bicycles.
In the 2023–24 fiscal year, the board shall report to the Legislature on the progress and outcomes of this program, including: (A) the number of rebates awarded, (B) the location of sales for which rebates were awarded, and (C) the estimated climate impact of the program, including estimated greenhouse gases abated.

“E-bikes can be the centerpiece of California’s strategy to replace gas-powered car trips to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while also advancing equity, promoting public health, reducing traffic, and helping working families save money,” said Dave Snyder, executive director of CalBike. “Until now, California has focused its efforts on electric cars. This new program breaks that funding dam and begins investing in a technology that is a known carbon crusher, E-bikes. E-bikes are the cleanest EV.”

Californians use their cars mostly for short trips, 60% of all trips are six miles or less. Electric bicycles can easily replace those trips. Electric bicycle users take children to school, haul hundreds of pounds of equipment or groceries, and travel long distances and over steep hills, without breaking a sweat.

But electric bicycles are not nearly as widespread as they should be because they are expensive. Safe electric bikes of respectable durability cost from $2,000 to $5,000 depending on your need.

The Electric Bicycle Incentives Project incentive will enable the switch, simultaneously serving California’s VMT reduction goals and improving the economic security of the recipient. California families burdened with the costs of car ownership can save money by owning an electric bike.

E-bike incentive program budget request

June 17, 2021/in CalBike Insider, CalBike Insider, The Latest /by Kevin Claxton

CalBike, joined by dozens of allied organizations across the state, submitted a letter of support for Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath’s request for a budget allocation to implement the proposed e-bike incentive program. The letter and its accompanying fact sheet express the consensus of a diversity of organizations that a $10 million investment in helping Californians get e-bikes is a great way to advance very many goals: climate change reduction, social equity, health and happiness, local economic sustainability, and traffic safety.

Dozens of organizations signed on, including statewide, regional, and local advocates for environmental sustainability, equity, and transportation justice; as well as influential public officials and agencies.

Snyder updates e-bike stakeholders on budget request

June 15, 2021/in Sustaining /by Kevin Claxton

As you may know, our proposal for a $10 million e-bike incentive program has two tracks: AB 117, the bill that creates the program; and the budget request that funds it. Since our last Zoom policy briefing, we’ve focused entirely on the budget request. Our lobbyist Steve Wallauch and I have met directly with leadership in the Senate and Assembly budget committees, and coordinated similar meetings with key allies. The feedback we’re getting is uniformly positive and we are optimistic!

Here’s why. The budget to be approved by the Legislature today has more funds for the Air Resources Board, including for clean vehicle incentives, than the Governor proposed. However, the details of how that funding will be spent are undecided. They will be hashed out in a series of “budget trailer bills” between now and September. Furthermore,we expect that available funding will increase over the summer when the state receives revenues from the cap-and-trade auction.

This means we have a couple of months to get our program written into one of these trailer bills. Committee leadership write trailer bills behind closed doors, with no opportunity for public pressure. However, thanks to our alliances and our Sacramento team, we have the connections we need to get this program written into the budget.

Even better, a budget trailer bill gives us the opportunity to restore the language that was removed from AB 117 in order to advance it out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee. We worked hard to craft that language to balance competing objectives and satisfy diverse stakeholders—environmental justice groups, community organizations, individual consumers, bicycle retailers, and bicycle manufacturers. I will keep you informed as we work to get that language inserted into a budget trailer bill.

After we win the budget, either now or by September, the next steps will be to work with the implementing agency to develop the guidelines that will determine the details of the program.

Thanks again for your ongoing support and interest.

– Dave

P.S. We have done a good job of identifying influencers, but it never hurts to ask: if you have a close connection to one of these six people, let me know: Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, and budget leaders Nancy Skinner and Bob Wieckowski; and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, and budget leaders Phil Ting and Richard Bloom.

P.P.S. You’re receiving this message from me because you’ve signed one of our petitions or expressed support for the bill. This is not a mass mailing. If you want more regular updates, join our list using the form on our homepage at calbike.org.

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