If you’re a resident of the city of Atlanta, you may qualify for a huge discount on a brand new electric bike this spring! City council voted this new program into existence this week. It can allow you to walk into any partnering bike shop and get up to $2,000 OFF as an instant rebate.
The idea is to reduce both traffic and carbon emissions, if residents can make short trips on their e-bikes rather than getting into a car. Other cities, like Tampa and Denver, have rolled out similar programs.
Here’s how it works
You’ll need to shop for your new e-bike at a local bike shop that is partnering with the city on this.
Rebates will be instant, at the point of sale. This means you’ll go to a bike shop with your voucher and at checkout the rebate amount will be deducted from the price of the bike. You don’t have to pay the full price upfront and wait for a rebate check to be reimbursed.
Your income determines, in part, how big of a rebate you’ll be eligible for.
Three-fourths of the rebate funds are reserved for people making below 80% of the city’s median household income. Research shows that median income for Atlanta is about $54,100 for single people and $77,600 for a household of four people. (So, we don’t know yet which numbers will be used for income eligibility, but we’ll update when we do.)
In this income bracket, people can get an instant rebate of $1500 on a standard e-bike, or $2000 on a cargo e-bike.
Residents who don’t qualify for the larger discount can still get an instant rebate of $500 for a standard e-bike or $1000 for a cargo e-bike.
Your next steps
Are you interested in applying for an e-bike rebate?
The program is expected to be up and running this spring,, and the city is working on putting together a list of bike shops that want to be included.
So for the most part, you’re just waiting for more info.
BUT, we strongly suggest you sign up for email notifications about the Atlanta e-bike rebate program, so you can stay in the know.
Sign up for notifications here
Then, you can click to learn more about the different types of e-bikes, at the Consumer Reports e-bike buying guide.
What is an e-bike
The state of Georgia defines electric bikes as:
A bicycle or a tricycle equipped with with fully operable pedals, a seat or saddle for the use of the rider, and an electric motor of less than 750 watts.