Electric Bike Incentives
The State of Vermont has a statewide incentive program that offers pre-paid vouchers for electric bicycle (eBike) purchases. This program will help Vermonters access an alternative mode of transportation for daily trips with fun, efficient, cleaner transportation that greatly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
(Intro on “Climate Action for You” web page highlighted above, with a link to the text below, similar to the standard format. Place between the “Vehicle Incentives – Used Car Milage Smart Program” and “Home Energy Audits”.)
The Vermont eBike Incentive Program is a limited-time offering available to income-eligible Vermonters on a first-come, first-served basis. Incentives will be available until the $150,000 in funding authorized this year is exhausted.
Eligible eBikes must meet minimum safety standards and cannot exceed maximum price levels of a base MSRP of $4,000 for standard electric bikes and $5,000 for electric cargo bikes. eBike purchasers must first apply for and receive a pre-paid debit card that can be applied at the point-of-sale at participating bike shops. The program has also been further restricted to serve only households with lower incomes and high transportation needs.
| eBike Type | Incentive Amount | Maximum MSRP |
| Standard eBike | $400 | $4,000 |
| Cargo eBike | $800 | $5,000 |
| Adaptive eBike | $800 | No maximum MSRP |
E-Bike incentives can be combined with offers from participating Vermont electric utilities to further reduce the cost of electric bikes. Green Mountain Power offers a $200 rebate for eBikes that have a purchase price of at least $500. You can get this rebate directly from GMP or from a participating bike shop when you make your purchase. For more information visit Electric Bike Rebate – Green Mountain Power.
The State of Vermont program has features that make it better than many rebate programs. These include:
- No tax documentation is required up front! Fill out this Vermont Purchase attestation form. Applicants simply report their income levels. VTrans will audit a subset of randomly chosen applications; if your application is audited, you can provide tax info OR authorize the State of VT Tax Dept. to release state tax info to VTrans.
- If you buy your e-bike from a participating Vermont retailer, the incentive can be taken “at point of sale” – meaning that you do not have to wait for a rebate!
- Depending on your income, there are TWO TIERS of assistance: $200 or 30% of the e-bike cost, or $400, not exceeding 50% of cost.
The e-bike you purchase must have a motor that is 750 watts or smaller. This ensures that the incentives are used for e-bikes rather than electric motorcycles.
For more information about e-Bikes, visit the following web sites. There are many other sources of information online.