California’s long-delayed $2,000 e-bike rebates are finally here
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.
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Vammo, a battery-swapping service for electric motorcycles in Latin America, has just announced that the company has surpassed an impressive 1 million battery swaps in a little over a year.
The company has built its service around a combination of VMoto electric motorcycles and a battery-swapping service designed to keep those motorcycles rolling all day without stopping to charge.
Headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, Vammo’s electric motorcycles and battery swap cabinets currently serve around 1,800 customers, with that number growing quickly. The service was launched just over a year ago and has already saved its customers a combined US $1.3 million in fuel costs. That’s on top of preventing the release of 3,050 tons of CO2 emissions.
Vammo’s subscription model saves users as much as 50% compared to gasoline-powered motorcycles, translating into annual savings of thousands of dollars. “Not only are we helping to cut carbon emissions by 85%, but we’re also putting significant savings back into the pockets of our customers,” said Jack Sarvary, Vammo’s co-founder and CEO. “Many of our users, especially delivery drivers, are saving as much as $2,000–$4,000 per year, making electric mobility both affordable and sustainable.”
That success has led to rapid growth for the company. Last year alone, Vammo saw 8x growth in both revenue and customer base.
“Our growth demonstrates the power of affordable, clean transportation,” said Billy Blaustein, Vammo’s COO. “We are proving that sustainable mobility can be both accessible and scalable.”
Vammo’s VMoto models have now become the #1 registered electric motorcycle brand in Brazil, likely making the company the top player in Latin America.
Battery swapping for electric motorcycles has gained significant interest in the last few years, especially as Gogoro has expanded its world-leading model for swappable electric scooter batteries. But unlike Gogoro, which built a swappable battery standard and then began persuading other companies to adopt it, Vammo built its service around existing electric motorcycles and their already operational battery designs.
Vammo began operations in São Paulo and has positioned its service as a solution not only for Brazil but also for broader Latin America.
Brazil is uniquely suited for electric motorcycles and battery swapping, as the country not only sells 4x the amount of motorcycles per year as the US, but has some of the cleanest electricity in the world. Over 90% of the country’s electricity is generated by clean sources, primarily hydroelectric power, with wind and solar also contributing to the mix. Compare that to the global average of just 13%.
Vammo is building on its momentum, recently announcing a partnership with app-based taxi provider 99, offering mototaxi drivers access to its electric motorcycles.
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