When a Colorado city offered residents a generous rebate for purchasing e-bikes from local retailers, the city was overwhelmed by the response.
Denver launched the program in April 2022 and has since issued nearly 15,000 vouchers. Mike Salisbury, a city staffer who oversaw the e-bike rebate program, explained to Bloomberg that they were expecting "a couple hundred applications" for the year. "But in two weeks, we received 10 times that number."
E-bikes are experiencing a surge in popularity in the United States. The latest figures from the U.S. Department of Energy indicate that sales exceeded 1.1 million units in 2022. The e-bike's appeal isn't difficult to understand.
For one, they're just plain fun to use, and that enjoyment is accessible to people of all fitness levels. The bike's motor can take on the harder parts of the journey, and riders can use as little or as much of their own power as they wish. This makes an e-bike a good option for someone beginning or returning to a fitness regimen.
There are now many options available at various price points. Upway is a great place to find an e-bike that meets your needs at the best price. There are also options for selling a used e-bike for those looking to upgrade their ride.
Surveys found that the average Denverite who took advantage of the e-bike program saved around 1,200 miles of driving. That works out to around half a metric ton of carbon that won't enter the atmosphere, per the EPA's stat that a mile of driving causes about 400g of planet-heating emissions.
There's also the monetary savings. It's much cheaper to charge an e-bike than it is to fill a car with gas. Regularly commuting by e-bike can save hundreds of dollars each year.
Those charging costs can be brought down even further with solar energy. EnergSage's online tools can help you get started and take advantage of any available incentives.
As Denver's e-bike revolution takes off, challenges lie ahead, primarily in installing bike-friendly infrastructure. Sue Baldwin, who oversees Denver's e-bike program, told Bloomberg:
"In our surveys, we hear that a lot — that people would ride more if they felt safer."
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