How Contra Costa County residents can get cash for buying an e-bike

(KRON) — With growing concerns about our economy, our personal well-being, and the environment, more and more individuals are choosing to ride bicycles instead of driving cars.

Despite e-bikes often being the more expensive option, Contra Costa County provides financial incentives for electrification by providing $150- $300 in cash rebates on any e-bike purchased within the last six months. Aside from having proof of purchase, the only other requirement is to be a Contra Costa resident over the age of 18.

Rebate program organizers, 511 Contra Costa, said the rebate program has “no catch! We want you to show and tell the world that e-bikes are the way to go. Go ahead and brag about how far you’ve ridden and how many places you can reach without your car.”

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No matter the resident’s income, the base pay for a cash rebate is $150. According to 511 Contra Costa, County residents with total household incomes of less than or equal to 400% of the current Federal Poverty Guidelines may be eligible for the max rebate of $300.

Here are a couple of other things to keep in mind when applying:

• Rebates are for e-bikes only. Normal bikes would not qualify for a rebate.

• The e-bike must have pedals.

• The bike must be purchased in Contra Costa County with proof of a CA sales tax.

• Used e-bikes do not qualify for the rebate program.

More specific information on the application can be found here.

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Researchers at the University of California Davis said more than 15% of vehicle trips in California are less than a mile, with 80% being less than 10 miles.

To see how people’s travel behavior changed after buying an e-bike using an incentive program, UC Davis researchers evaluated survey data from rebate participants in programs across Northern California – including 511 Contra Costa’s program. They discovered between 35 and 50% of e-bike trips made by these individuals would have been made by car if an e-bike had not been available.

Rebate recipients also reported an increase in bicycle use. Two months after getting an e-bike, most reported shifting from biking “never” or one to three times a month to one to three times a week.

As for how getting an e-bike affected their driving habits, most e-bike rebate recipients replaced driving trips with riding e-bikes at least one to three times per month. Across the study group, a large share of respondents (82%) reported replacing at least one car trip with an e-bike ride.

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