Denver gave out huge rebates on electric bikes. Now it’s making the bike lanes they need
Denver grabbed headlines earlier this year when it launched an ambitious program to help city residents replace cars with e-bikes. Now the city is struggling to ensure it can provide sufficient cycling infrastructure to support the influx of electric bikes.
The program initially offered generous rebates from $400 to $900 off the price of a new e-bike depending on the style of bike, with cargo e-bikes receiving higher incentives.
Low-income city residents were offered even higher incentives of $1,200 toward the price of an electric bike.
Unlike mail-in rebates or e-bike tax credits, Denver’s program used point-of-sale rebates that were applied instantly, making it easier for new riders to afford what can often be expensive electric bikes.
The goal of the program was to help get more of these car-replacing electric bikes out onto Denver’s streets to cut down on traffic and reduce emission-spewing vehicle use.
Nearly 5,000 electric bikes have been purchased as part of the program, with around half of those e-bikes going to low-income riders.
It’s been widely praised as a successful model for increasing the adoption rate of low-impact alternative vehicles. But it’s also shined a light on another issue surrounding personal EVs like e-bikes and e-scooters: that they require investment in infrastructure to make riders feel safe using them.
E-bikes can usually travel at speeds of 20-28 mph (32-45 km/h), which makes them better able to keep up with cars.
But not all riders want to mix it up with traffic in the roadways. Bike lanes help encourage commuters to use bikes, scooters, skateboards, and other light vehicles by providing a safer environment away from the heavy machinery regularly used by car drivers.
Denver poured millions of dollars into its e-bike rebate program, successfully putting thousands of new e-bikes on the road. Now the city is working on building enough bike lanes to help those riders feel safe and protected while using their new wheels.
The city already had nearly 200 miles of bike lanes when Mayor Michael Hancock outlined a plan to install another 125 miles of bike lanes in 2018. Denver is now nearing completion of that pledge with over 300 miles of bike lanes spread across the city.
The problem is that not all bike lanes are created equal. Some keep riders safer than others.
Much of the current cycling infrastructure is classified as “unprotected” bike lanes, which are usually just a painted line designated the road shoulder for bike. Several dozen miles of the city’s bike lanes have been installed with physical barriers such as poles and other devices separating bikes from the main traffic lanes of major roads and creating protected bike lanes.
While unprotected bike lanes are a step in the right direction by demarcating part of the road for bikes only, many riders including Denver Bicycle Lobby member David Mintzer feel they don’t go far enough. As he explained to The Denver Post:
“My biggest issue with the 125 miles of bikeways that the city is touting is that most of them are unprotected and they’re still having bicycles mix with traffic. As they stand now, they are not comfortable for new riders.”
Many locals agree and have been pushing the city to install more protected bike lanes, with the e-bike rebates creating a renewed push for improved cycling infrastructure.
The city seems to be taking notice.
According to City councilman Chris Hinds:
“We are in some ways a victim of our own success in our bike infrastructure. We wouldn’t have had these questions if not for the e-bike rebate program that has put a lot of e-bikes in our bikeways. It is time to take a look at that infrastructure.”
Electrek’s Take
I actually see this as a good thing. Sure, we all want cities to proactively install proper cycling infrastructure. But without a mass of riders to demonstrate the need, it can be hard to make the case in a way that those who control the purse strings can truly understand. It’s a chicken and egg, but sometimes they need to see either the chicken or the egg to get something rolling.
In Denver’s case, now that there are suddenly thousands of more e-bikes riding around, and that seems to be making an impact on city officials.
The time has come to not just speed up the pace of bike lane installation, but to plan ahead for protected bike lanes that make everyone safer. The more comfortable people feel riding, the more they’ll ride. And the more they ride, the more everyone wins. Yes, even car drivers win too.
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Compton, California, has unveiled 25 new electric school buses – the school district’s first – and 25 Tellus 180 kW DC fast chargers.
Compton Unified School District (CUSD) in southern Los Angeles County is putting 17 Thomas Built Type A and eight Thomas Built Type C electric school buses on the road this spring. In addition to working with Thomas Built, CUSD also collaborated with electrification-as-a-service provider Highland Electric Fleet, utility Southern California Edison, and school transportation provider Durham School Services.
Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean School Bus Program awarded funds for the vehicles in the program’s first round. EPA also awarded CUSD funds for the third round of the program and anticipates introducing an additional 25 EV school buses in the future.
“I can’t stress enough how vital grants like these are and the need for continued support from our partners in government at the state and federal level to fund additional grants for school districts and their transportation partners that are ready to deliver and operate zero-emission buses,” said Tim Wertner, CEO of Durham School Services.
CUSD, which serves Compton and parts of the cities of Carson and Los Angeles, currently serves more than 17,000 students at 36 sites. The district has a high school graduation rate of 93% and an 88% college acceptance rate. One in 11 children in Los Angeles County have asthma, which makes the need for emissions-free school transportation that much more pressing.
Read more: Thomas Built Buses debuts its next-gen electric school bus
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After cutting lease prices by $200 this month, the Rivian R1S is now surprisingly affordable. It may even be a better deal than the new Tesla Model Y.
Rivian cuts R1S lease prices by $200 per month
Rivian’s R1S is one of the hottest electric SUVs on the market. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you’re missing out.
With some of the best deals to date, now may be the time. Rivian lowered R1S lease prices earlier this month to just $599 for 36 months, with $8,493 due at signing (30,000 miles). The offer is for the new 2025 R1S Adventure Dual Standard, which starts at $75,900.
Before the price cut, the R1S was listed at $799 per month, with $8,694 due at signing. The electric SUV now has the same lease price as the R1T, despite costing $6,000 more.
The 2025 R1T Dual Motor starts at $69,900, essentially making it a free $6,000 upgrade. At that price, you may even want to consider it over the new Tesla Model Y.
Tesla’s new Model Y Launch Series arrived with lease prices of $699 for 36 months. With $4,393 due at signing, the effective rate is $821 per month, or just $13 less than the R1S at $834. However, the 2025 R1S costs nearly $15,000 more, with the Model Y Launch Series price at $59,990.
Rivian is also offering an “All-Electric Upgrade Offer” of up to $6,000 for those looking to trade-in their gas-powered car, but base models are not included.
| Starting Price | Range (EPA-est.) |
|
| 2025 Rivian R1S Dual Standard | $75,900 | 270 miles |
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Launch Series | $59,990 | 327 miles |
To take advantage of the Rivian R1S lease deal, you must order it before March 15 and take delivery on or before March 31, 2025.
The 2025 Rivian R1S Dual Standard Motor has an EPA-estimated range of up to 270 miles. Tesla’s new Model Y Launch Series gets up to 327 miles.
Which electric SUV would you choose? Rivian’s R1S or the new Tesla Model Y? If you’re ready to check them out for yourself, you can use our links below to find deals on the Rivian R1S and Tesla Model Y in your area.
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Tesla says it can deliver new orders for the refreshed Model Y within two weeks in China. Is the automaker already experiencing a demand problem with the new Model Y?
Last month, Tesla launched the new Model Y in China. The vehicle features an updated design and new features that bring it closer to the recently refreshed Model 3.
Tesla has now started delivering the Long Range AWD updated Model Y in China this week.
But along with the start of deliveries, Tesla also opened orders for the non-Launch edition and the Standard Range RWD:
There were rumors coming from China that Tesla managed to get hundreds of thousands of orders for the new Model Y, which is not impossible since it would be just a few months of production for the best-selling EVs, but now Tesla’s updated configurator raised questions about these rumors.
Tesla says it can deliver a new Model Y RWD order placed today in “2 to 4 weeks” in China.
The Long Range AWD Model Y takes a bit longer at “6-10 weeks” for new orders.
Based on insurance data, Tesla’s deliveries in 2025 are currently down about 7,000 units compared to the same period last year.
Electrek’s Take
There’s no doubt that the Model Y changeover is going to hurt Tesla in Q1. The question is, by how much?
I am surprised to see that you can place an order right now and get on in just 2-4 weeks. It does point to soft demand for the RWD version, at least.
It’s going to be interesting to track deliveries through March. Tesla will need to deliver over 50,000 vehicles next month to arrive at similar levels as it did last year.
It looks like the production ramp is going well, so demand might be the bigger factor.
As for the Model 3, Tesla is already pulling all the demand levers in order for the sedan to contribute, but everything points to the new Model Y being the different maker.
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