California has been attempting for years to roll out an incentive program for electric bicycles, with the project continuously delayed due to funding and mismanagement issues. Now we’ve finally received word that the long-awaited program is set to begin before the end of the year.

Electric bicycle rebates and vouchers have proven to be a powerful tool to help people replace cars or simply establish transportation independence. There are many states as well as countless cities in the US that have established their own voucher programs, usually to overwhelming success. 

The idea goes that more people would avoid car usage (and all of the many downsides that come with it), if they could afford a more efficient alternative like an electric bike. For many others who currently lack any form of transportation, an e-bike can be a lifeline for mobility.

Now Californians across the Golden State could finally get that opportunity as well, or at least a chance for that opportunity. The California Air Resources Board has announced that its e-bike incentive program will kick off on December 18 – just two weeks from now.

There will be multiple windows of incentives in the program, with the first drawing upon US $3 million in funding, or enough to cover around 1,500 e-bike vouchers. The program will be limited to income-eligible residents of the state, with a sliding scale based on 3x the federal poverty line and the number of household residents. For a single person, that’s an income of around US $45,000 per year. For a family of four, it’s a household income of around $93,000 per year. Priority applicants are considered those with household incomes under 2.25x the federal poverty line.

CARB has said that applications will open at 6 PM on December 18th, and as Streetsblog pointed out, it could be a matter of minutes before all of the available vouchers are snatched up. We’ve seen the same thing happen in other cities, such as Denver where each round of new vouchers can be exhausted in around one minute. 

The base voucher is set at US $1,750, with an additional $250 provided to priority applicants at under 2.25x the federal poverty line, with the maximum voucher being $2,000. The voucher can be used to purchase an eligible electric bike, as well as accessories such as a helmet, bike lock, racks, baskets, fenders, lights, mirrors, and protective clothing.

Bike elgibility is slightly restrictive, requiring more than just that the e-bike fits into the three-class e-bike system used by California as well as most US states. To be eligible for purchase using the CARB program’s incentive, the bikes must also have a lighting system that runs off of the e-bike’s main battery, be tested for compliance with safety certification ANSI/CAN/UL-2849 or EN-15194, offer at least a 1-year warranty, and be delivered fully-assembled.

While the requirement for being delivered fully-assembled would seem to rule out almost all direct-to-consumer e-bikes ordered online, like those from major retailers like Rad Power Bikes, Aventon, Velotric, and others, all of those bikes as well as similar models appear on a list of eligible e-bike models. Thus, it appears CARB is somewhat flexible about what it means to be delivered fully-assembled, and allows for bikes that arrive with the rider needing to install components like wheels, handlebars, pedals, seats, racks, and fenders.

OPEC+ member compliance

In a Friday note, analysts at HSBC assessed that the Thursday OPEC+ agreement is “marginally supportive” for supply-demand balances, reducing the projected market surplus in 2025 to just 0.2 million barrels per day, if the oil producers’ alliance proceeds with hiking production in April.

“Another delay, which we would not rule out, would leave the market broadly in balance next year,” they said. “While OPEC+’s decision to hold off strengthens fundamentals in the near term, it could be seen as an implicit admission that demand is sluggish.”

Demand has been at the forefront of OPEC+ considerations, with the OPEC’s November Monthly Oil Market Report seeing 1.54 million barrels-per-day of year-on-year growth in 2025.

The Paris-based International Energy Agency, meanwhile, last month forecast that world oil demand will expand by 920,000 barrels per day this year and just under 1 million barrels per day in 2025.

Market concerns have especially lingered over the outlook of the world’s largest crude importer, China, whose convalescent economy has received a governmental boost in recent months by way of stimulus measures.

Dodge has just released a new ad for its all-electric Charger Daytona that sticks true to its engine-revving, muscle-car roots while ripping into EV rivals as “weak” and “soulless sleep pods.” Is it enough to convert its muscle-car fanbase?

The new ad aims to flip the script on environmental messages, starting off on a somber note about how Dodge is investing in EVs not to be trendy but to save the planet. Then the narrator switches gears and says that Dodge is really aiming to save everyone from the “lame, soulless, weak-looking, self-driving sleep pods everyone else keeps polluting our streets with.” A tad aggressive, but perhaps it will strike the right tone with Dodge buyers, who aren’t, of course, early adopters on the EV front.

The ”Save the Planet” creative is running as a 30-second broadcast TV spot as well as shorter clips on social media, plus a 60-second version available on YouTube.

For its new EV, Stellantis-owned Dodge says it is relying on electrification as a tool to push the boundaries of performance — all new powertrains in the Charger lineup surpass the powertrains that they replace. The Charger Daytona Scat Pack runs a quarter-mile in an estimated 11.5 seconds and delivers Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye levels of performance by reaching 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds, with a total output of 670 horsepower and 627 lb.-ft. of torque, while the Charger Daytona R/T delivers a total output of 496 horsepower and 404 lb.-ft. of torque, a significant performance increase over previous Charger R/T models.

The all-new Charger Daytona features an all-electric, 400-volt, dual motor system delivering muscle-car performance through standard all-wheel drive and a mechanical limited slip differential, the company says. In addition to performance features and drive modes, the Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust for the Charger Daytona “delivers a signature rumble and tactile sound wave output” – clearly, Dodge isn’t going for the quiet EV vibe here.

Dodge will offer two all-electric trims of the Charger Daytona two-door, designed with performance buyers in mind and wearing iconic R/T and Scat Pack badges. The Dodge Charger Daytona R/T has a starting US MSRP of $59,595, and the souped-up Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack starts at a US MSRP of $73,190. The Dodge Charger Daytona R/T and the Charger Daytona Scat Pack, the first all-electric vehicles from the Dodge brand, also qualify for a full $7,500 federal tax credit when leased.

Ready to try out the world’s first electric muscle car for yourself? Get started here with our link to find deals on 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona models at a dealer near you.

Photo credit: Stellantis

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