In their quest to electrify the transportation sector, some state and city leaders see a future not on four wheels, but two.

As e-bikes, or e-bikes, grow in popularity, enthusiasts are increasingly seeing them as a tool for reducing car traffic and air pollution, rather than just a fun new toy. States, cities and utility companies have begun offering vouchers or discounts to help residents buy e-bikes. Some places are combining such programs with new efforts to expand and connect bike lanes. Leaders say the transition is cheaper, quicker to implement and requires fewer manufacturing and charging resources than EVs.

Electric bikes have pedals, but use an electric motor to help the rider accelerate, maintain speed, and climb hills. This makes them easier to use than traditional bikes, especially in hilly areas and for riders who may not want to do a high-intensity workout on the bike to work or other errands.

Earlier this year, Anissa Teslow, a resident of Benton County, Oregon, bought an adult electric bike with the help of a local rebate program. Teslow is disabled and sometimes unable to ride a conventional bicycle. She says she now uses the e-bike for many short-distance tasks, allowing her to maintain a more active lifestyle and socialize with friends, improving her mental health.

"E-bikes allow me to ride and have fun, and use different pedal assists depending on how much help I need," she says. "I want to help people with disabilities think they too can be more active by purchasing an e-bike. I've been outside more this summer than I've ever been before."

Many leaders see stories like Teslow's showing how transformative e-bikes can be.

"E-bikes allow you to go further, faster and more comfortably than ever before," said Senator Chris Lee of Hawaii. Buy. "It's a new way of commuting, unprecedented in scope and price."

According to 2017 data from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, nearly 60 percent of private car trips are less than 6 miles away. Advocates see a huge opportunity for e-bikes to become the workhorse of these short trips. Cargo bikes can haul groceries or take the kids to school. Electric support could help commuters cycle to work without getting drenched in sweat.

E-bikes could also make cycling an option for people with health problems or disabilities, elderly residents or people with "exercise anxiety" who might not otherwise feel confident relying on a bike to get around.

Proponents of public incentives point out that widespread adoption of e-bikes for short trips would reduce air pollution in urban areas, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ease traffic and parking problems. E-bikes can also help low-income families get around without paying the cost of owning a car. Many incentive programs provide additional funding to low-income residents, generally defined as those earning a certain percentage of an area's median income. The cheapest e-bikes can cost over $1,000, while more expensive models can run into the thousands.

“When you look at how much we spend on incentives for electric cars, electric bikes are much cheaper and more accessible,” said Washington state Rep. Sharon Shewmake, a Democrat, speaking in this session. Co-sponsored a bill to exempt the purchase of e-bikes from sales tax. The measure passed the House in 2021 but did not move forward this year.

Still, some lawmakers -- while supportive of e-bikes in general -- are wary of using public money to support specific products, especially if existing roads and bridges need repairs.

"We can't pay to fix a bridge that's been broken for 10 years, but are we going to pay for electric bikes?" asked Rep. Andrew Barkis of Washington, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation Committee. People, he opposed the proposal to exempt e-bike sales tax.

Advocates of public incentives acknowledge that e-bikes will not be able to reach their potential without also investing in safe bike lanes and infrastructure. Adoption can also be a challenge in regions with harsh climates, where snow and rain can deter passengers. But proponents argue that nearly every region of the U.S. has an important role for e-bikes to play in its future of transportation.

“The possibilities seem endless in terms of all the ways they can be used to address social and environmental issues,” said Ash Lovell, director of e-bike policy and campaigns at PeopleForBikes, a Colorado-based bicycle advocacy nonprofit.

colorado leads

Earlier this year, Denver launched one of the most ambitious programs in the country to encourage adoption of e-bikes. It offers $400 off the purchase of electric bikes, $1,200 off for low-income residents, and an additional $500 off cargo bike models. The program has proven to be so popular that almost all vouchers are claimed as soon as they become available. The latest rebate in September was gone in less than 10 minutes.

The rebates supported the purchase of more than 4,000 e-bikes, according to Grace Link, the city and county's chief climate officer and executive director of the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resilience. About half of the purchases were from income-qualified residents.

Link said traffic is the number one source of air pollution in Denver. The federal Environmental Protection Agency recently listed this part of the state as a "severe" violation of air quality standards.

"For the sake of our air quality and our quality of life, we need to remove ourselves from solo car trips when possible," Link said. "We've been told by a lot of people that [electric bikes] will definitely replace car travel. Some families are choosing to buy an e-bike instead of a second vehicle."

Following the success of the Denver plan, the statewide model was passed as part of a larger air quality plan that will commit $12 million over two years to e-bike adoption.

“Anything that takes gasoline-powered vehicles off the road is generally a good thing,” said Rep. Alex Valdez, the Democrat who co-sponsored the bill.

Valdez pointed to the role government incentives play in boosting EV adoption and production, and said similar e-bike policies would help make them more affordable in a faster time frame.

The state plans to spend $10 million on consumer rebates and the remaining $2 million to support a grant program to provide electric bikes to low-income essential workers. The investment could put as many as 9,000 e-bikes on the road, said Sarah Thorne, who oversees the project at the Colorado Energy Office.

"We're trying to encourage people to think of e-bikes as real vehicles," Thorne said. "You can go further; you can carry more cargo. It's easier to take the kids to school, to work."

At the same time, some lawmakers do not support the government's efforts to support bicycles with public money, arguing that e-bike investments benefit urban areas at the expense of rural communities.

"If that's what people want, then the private sector should be able to handle this," said Rep. Janice Rich of Colorado, a Republican who represents rural Mesa County and voted against the rebate bill. "Western Colorado is more concerned with having better roads."

offer rewards

Many other states and cities support e-bike incentive programs. Some legislatures passed the measures with broad bipartisan support, while others were part of a larger package that faced opposition, mostly from Republicans. But regardless of state politics, local initiatives have already begun, including utility-led efforts in Iowa and Texas.

The Hawaii measure, which Lee supports, would provide $500 in rebates for low-income residents, students and those without a car. Lawmakers also directed the state Department of Transportation to prioritize projects like bike lanes rather than default to more highway construction.

"We're one of the most car-centric places in America," Lee said. "Being able to offer families an alternative, such as going from three cars to two cars, can lead to significant cost savings."

Legislators in Massachusetts passed a $1 million program earlier this year to provide low-income residents with $500 and $750 rebates for e-bikes. Democratic state Rep. Natalie Bryce, who sponsored the bill, said her rural area would benefit, contrary to the argument that e-bikes only serve urban areas.

"We have a real gap between the first mile and the last mile when it comes to public transport," she said. "This is one way we can help residents who are not close to public transit routes have access to these options."

California lawmakers allocated $10 million in 2021 for an electric bike incentive program that is expected to launch early next year under the watchful eye of the California Air Resources Board. The program is expected to provide about 7,000 vouchers worth about $1,000 each, said Kevin Claxton, interim executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group California Cycling Coalition.

“More and more California leaders are starting to understand that e-bikes are a way to solve a whole bunch of problems — greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, traffic congestion,” he said.

Amid the newfound support, e-bike advocates admit they still have work to do. Efforts to include a federal e-bike rebate in the climate bill passed by Congress earlier this year fell through at the last minute. The lack of safe bike lanes in many areas limits prospects for adoption.

Washington lawmaker Shewmake failed to advance her e-bike sales tax exemption, but won funding for a study that would consider a grant program to support "micromobility" options at community lending libraries, such as e-bikes and scooters.