Gov. Mills signs Sen. Daughtry bill to add e-bikes to the electric vehicle rebate program
AUGUSTA — Gov. Janet Mills has signed into law a bill from Sen. Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick. LD 256, “An Act to Add Electric Bicycles to the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program,” will amend Efficiency Maine’s electric vehicle rebate program to include electric bicycles, commonly known as “e-bikes.” LD 256 will ensure that the rebates are directed toward Mainers with low and moderate incomes. It also will ensure that the rebate amounts will help advance Maine’s carbon reduction targets and reduce transportation-related energy costs.
“During this summer of record hot temperatures, we want to encourage more people to consider commuting by e-bike — instead of a gas-powered vehicle. Gas-powered vehicles remain the highest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Maine,” said Sen. Daughtry. “We already offer a rebate for electric vehicles, which many Mainers, especially those with lower incomes, still can’t afford. A rebate for a $3,000 e-bike has the potential to reach more Maine consumers and help them access a cheaper, cleaner mode of transportation. I am grateful that Gov. Mills supported this bill and reaffirmed our state’s commitment to reducing the worst effects of climate change.”
Some states already offer an e-bike rebate program, including Vermont in New England. The VT eBike Incentive Program offers rebates up to $400 for the purchase of an e-bike. More locally, the City of South Portland launched an e-bike rebate program as part of the City’s Electrify Everything Program. For residents who earn up to 100 percent of the Area Median Income, they can qualify for a $300 rebate on an e-bike or a $500 rebate on a cargo e-bike. The City of Portland also is developing an e-bike rebate program that will launch later this year.
Efficiency Maine currently offers instant and mail-in rebates for qualifying battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles at participating dealers or when the vehicles are purchased directly from the manufacturer. There are purchaser and vehicle eligibility criteria. To learn more, go to efficiencymaine.com/electric-vehicle-rebates.
“E-bikes provide effective, reliable transportation within a 5-10 mile radius of a person’s home, which is the range that more than 75 percent of car trips fall within in Maine,” Jim Tasse of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, the leading statewide organization advocating for access to active transportation for all pedestrians and people on bicycles, wrote in his testimony for the public hearing. “Broadly speaking, an e-bike rebate program would make this technology more available to more people, and could help low income folks in particular achieve mobility goals at a much lower cost than car ownership.”
Rep. Dan Ankeles, D-Brunswick, who also testified in support of LD 256, said, “This bill gives more people access to a relatively low-cost option compared to a car. And with our workforce shortage in so many sectors, every little bit helps. You’ll hear from others behind me that people trying to stretch every dollar could make some real use of this [rebate].”
LD 256 goes into effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns sine die.
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