A D.C. councilmember wants to make buying an electronic bike more affordable.
Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto introduced a bill to create a rebate program that would partially reimburse residents who buy an e-bike from a retailer in the District.
Most residents could receive an instant rebate of $400 or 30% of the bike’s purchase price — whichever is lower — or $500 for cargo electric bicycle models.
A higher rebate — up to $1,200 or 75% of the price of the e-bike — would be available to residents who earn below 80% of the median family income (currently $79,700 for a single-person household or $113,850 for a family of four, according to D.C. agencies). Half of the rebates would be reserved for that group of residents.
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There’s also a provision allowing rebates for businesses that show they would use e-bikes to reduce motor vehicle use.
More than 3,000 rebates would be available each year under The Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstarting the Environment (E-BIKE) Act of 2023.
Pinto tells our partners at WTOP that she hopes to have the bill passed and funded by the end of the year.
