State Launches E-Bike Discount Program, Connecticut, 2023

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has launched the electric bicycle incentive program. Through this program, Connecticut residents had a ten-day window to apply for vouchers that can be applied at the point of purchase for an e-bike. Once selected as a voucher recipient, customers can use their discount at a set of participating e-bike retailers for an eligible bicycle. A Standard Voucher amounts to $500. Households at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, individuals who reside in a distressed municipality or an environmental justice neighborhood, or individuals participating in specific state and federal aid programs, like Medicaid or temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), are also eligible for Voucher+, which is an additional $1,000 discount. In other words, Voucher+ recipients receive $1,500 off the retail price of a qualified electric bicycle.

DEEP supports the e-bike incentive program through $1.5 million appropriated from the Connecticut Clean Air Act. This program is an expansion of the existing Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) incentive program, which provides discounts for purchases of electric cars. During this first cycle, applications for e-bike vouchers experienced high demand. Similar programs in other communities across the United States have demonstrated that e-bike vouchers, discounts, and rebates are popular policy measures; expanding the use of e-bikes can reduce car trips, which, in turn, can reduce congestion, pollution, and other negative externalities associated with car use.

Last updated August 4, 2023