New Yorkers can get up to 50% off their new electric bicycle or electric scooter in the state's latest proposed e-bike incentive.
E-Bike Incentive in New York
According to Electrek, New York Senator Julia Salazar's bill would save New Yorkers up to $1,100 for e-bikes or e-scooters that they've purchased.
The bill offers the Ride Clean rebate, an e-bike program modeled after the Drive Clean campaign written for electric vehicles in New York.
The state only legalized e-bikes in 2020 when the pandemic forced the residents to stop riding the subway and buses due to the strict COVID-19 guidelines.
Senator Salazar's bill does not give too much detail on how the rebate would work, and there are no limitations written about the area of residents or income level to qualify for the rebate.
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The bill only states that the rebate covers class 1, 2, and 3 electric bicycles that can reach up to 28mph with up to 750 watts of power.
Electric scooters are also listed in the bill, but no speed or power restrictions are noted. It also does not state if the incentive applies to standing electric scooters or Vespa-style seated electric scooters.
When Do New Yorkers Expect the Incentive Program?
New York could be the next state to offer a state-level electric bicycle purchase incentive after Vermont.
Senator Salazar's bill passed the New York State Senate with a 60-3 vote, but it is still waiting for approval from the Assembly, as the committee has kept it since early 2022.
Senator Salazar is hopeful that the bill will progress in the next session and will get the same support it received in the State Senate.
Benefits of E-Bikes
The bill proposed by Senator Salazar is also expected to help entice New Yorkers to purchase e-bikes or e-scooters instead of gas-powered vehicles to help reduce the emissions in the state.
According to the Climate Action Council, New York's transportation system is the largest source of emissions, and the green energy group RMI projects that without new policies, the state will not be able to reach its 2030 target for cutting emissions.
E-bikes and e-scooters can help New York reach its emissions goal.
A survey by TNMT in 2021 found that e-bikes and e-scooters emit 20 grams of CO2 per person per kilometer over their lifetimes, while an electric vehicle emits 100 grams and a gas-powered car emits more than 200 grams of CO2 per person per kilometer.
Electric bikes and electric scooters are also more practical than traditional bicycles. Federal data from Bike Adviser shows that more than half of New Yorkers travel under five miles and that replacing a small share of the car trips with e-bikes or e-scooters could have an outsized impact on the environment.
Research from Science Direct also shows that e-bikes and e-scooters have the potential to cut emissions, especially in smaller cities and rural areas.
Yonah Freemark, a senior researcher at the Urban Institute, said that if people begin using e-bikes or e-scooters instead of traditional vehicles, it will help create an ecosystem of mobility and patterns that are less resource intensive.
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Written by Sophie Webster