WASHINGTON — The DC Council unanimously passed legislation to encourage electric bike ridership and purchase in the District.
The Electric Bicycle Incentive Program Amendment Act of 2023 creates a program to aid in the cost of e-bikes for riders and offers support to bike shops. The program offers either a voucher or rebate towards the purchase of an e-bike as well as the maintenance.
“...e-bikes unlock the city for riders. Traffic and parking become after-thoughts. No more car payments. And an e-bike can cut the time of a trip through the city in half without ever breaking a sweat.” said Councilmember Charles Allen.
Details of when purchases will be eligible and when residents can apply will be determined by the DC Department of Transportation. The bill will offer two different tiers of incentives:
One will be for low-income residents.
- Up to $2,000 for the purchase of a qualifying cargo e-bike
- Up to $1,500 for the purchase of a qualifying e-bike
- Up to $300 for a replacement battery
- Up to $250 for annual maintenance, including the cost of parts and labor
- Up to $250 for e-bike or cargo e-bike parts to accommodate riders with disabilities
- Up to $150 for a bike lock
The second tier of incentives will be for all other residents.
- Up to $1,000 for the purchase of a qualifying cargo e-bike
- Up to $750 for the purchase of a qualifying e-bike
- Up to $150 for a replacement battery
- Up to $125 for e-bike or cargo e-bike parts to accommodate riders with disabilities
- Up to $125 for annual maintenance, including the cost of parts and labor
- Up to $75 for a bike lock
DDOT acknowledges that even with the rebates, purchasing an e-bike may still be out of lower-income residents’ budget. So they have created a voucher that will give the residents an instant discount and reimburse the retailer directly.
In addition to incentives for consumers, the bill will also issue grants to bike shops. This will address the concerns of bike shop owners reporting that staffing remains a big operational challenge.
The Electric Bicycle Incentive Program Amendment Act has been pre-funded in the 2024 Fiscal Year’s budget, which goes into effect on October 1, 2023. The bill will go to the Mayor’s office for her signature and then to Congress for a passive review.