California Air Resources Board

Project Goals 

The California E-Bike Incentive Project provided incentives to reduce the purchase price for e-bikes to low-income Californians. This project aims to 1) help people replace car trips with e-bike trips, 2) increase access to e-bikes, and 3) reduce greenhouse gas emissions by lowering barriers to e-bike ownership. In addition, the project will help Californians learn about bicycle safety and support local businesses. 

Guiding Legislation

The California E-Bike Incentive Project originated from Senate Bill 129, which authorized the California Air Resources Board to create a program that provides financial incentives to purchase e-bikes.  

Senate Bill 350 directs the California Air Resources Board to identify and reduce barriers to accessing electrified transportation. The California E-Bike Incentive Project adopts these recommendations by requiring all applicants to meet specific income thresholds and further incentivize participants in disadvantaged and low-income communities.

Senate Bill 1271 updates the e-bike definitions to include battery safety for all e-bikes sold or rented in California by 2026. E-Bikes sold or rented in California must have Underwriter Laboratories or European Standard certification on all battery and electrical components.

Project Funding History 

• Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-22: $10,000,000
• FY 2022-23: $3,000,000 
• FY 2023-24: $18,000,000

Funding Breakdown* 

*This table includes FY 2021-22 and 2022-23 funds.

Recent Project/Policy Changes 

The California E-Bike Incentive Project has recently made policy changes through the public workgroup process. Those changes include the following:

• E-Bikes eligible for the project must be Underwriter Laboratories (UL) 2271, UL 2849, or European Standard 15194 certified.
• The base incentive amount has been increased from $1,000 to $1,750.
• The project will release a solicitation for a program administrator in 2025.