
Share your commute
How do walking, biking, and transit make your commute happier and healthier?
Starting January 1, Austin Energy customers who purchase electric bikes through participating e-bike dealerships will be eligible for rebates as high as $600 for individuals and $800 for fleets – twice the previous amount. Austin Energy is also launching a $300,000 pilot program to help lower income customers purchase e-bikes with even higher rebates.
The expanded rebate program will help more Austinites purchase and ride these clean vehicles. In the United States, e-bikes outsold electric cars and plug-in hybrids in 2021. This clean transportation technology is building off a pandemic-era boom when many people sought alternatives to enclosed public transit and picked up socially distanced outdoor hobbies. However, as pandemic restrictions have eased, the demand for e-bikes has remained strong.
E-bikes can extend the range someone is willing to bike to work, the grocery store, or anywhere else with proper bike-friendly infrastructure. This in turn can reduce the number of cars on our roads – an important goal to reduce the transportation sector’s climate impact. E-bikes are also much cheaper to purchase than cars, providing a lower cost means of transportation.
Austin Energy announced the changes in response to a resolution by Council Member Paige Ellis. The resolution also included a recommendation, supported by Environment Texas, which would allow purchases of e-bikes directly from the manufacturer to qualify for rebates as well. Buying e-bikes online can often be cheaper, and thus accessible to more Austinites. Online purchases will now qualify for the rebate if purchased through a local bike shop, but not for popular brands like Radpower which only sell e-bikes online.
Overall this is great news and Austin Energy should be applauded. E-bikes open up the world of two-wheeled transportation to more of us. They extend ride ranges, make it easier to conquer hilly terrain and increase the cargo load that someone can carry. In sum, an e-bike makes it vastly easier to get around without a car. Replacing car trips with zero-carbon options such as e-bikes is one of the best ways to fight climate change.
How do walking, biking, and transit make your commute happier and healthier?
TELL YOUR STORY
Energy Conservation & Efficiency
Energy Conservation & Efficiency