California has enough problems without making people endure political stunts.
That’s just what the California Air Resource Board did by providing a subsidy up to $2,000 to buy an electric bike, part of the California E-Bike Incentive Project. That’s the average price of a new e-bike, according to REI. The idea is to get people out of gas-guzzling cars and onto bikes to reduce climate change.
Costing $3 million for just 1,500 grants, the application deadline was Dec. 18, but the website announced soon there will be new application windows. Applicants must apply online, be a California resident 18 or older and earn a household income less than the 300% of the federal poverty level, currently $93,600 for a family of four.
According to the website of the program, “Applicants who either live in a disadvantaged community or low-income community” or who “have an income at or below 225% of” the federal poverty line will be prioritized for the subsidy.
CARB is very proud of itself for this program. “By using e-bikes, people can get around and meet everyday needs while improving air quality,” said Steven Cliff, CARB’s executive officer, in a press release. “Prioritizing equity and access is key as we work to achieve our zero-emissions goals, and this incentive program will support those efforts by helping e-bikes be part of the solution.”
For all the buzzwords, though, it’s obvious there isn’t really much to this program.
The gimmick will bring “imperceptible impact on environmental outcomes,” Mark Scribner told us; he’s the senior transportation policy analyst at the Los Angeles-based Reason Foundation. “This is political posturing. It confers private benefits on recipients, but will fail a social cost-benefit test.”
That’s right.
Statista Market Insights estimates 1.6 million e-bikes were sold nationally in 2024. There’s no breakout, but equivalent sales in California could be 192,000. The 1,500 e-bike grants, if all are for purchases above that amount, would goose sales just 0.78%.
Another issue is safety. A July study by UCSF found, “Electric Scooter and Bike Accidents Are Soaring Across the U.S.” From 2017-22, e-bike injuries doubled each year, while e-scooter injuries rose 45%. Co-lead author Adrian Fernandez, MD, chief resident with the UCSF Department of Urology, called the findings “an urgent need for added safety measures.”
Last July, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1774, which banned devices to make the e-bikes go faster than the 28 mph limit currently allowed by law. But the devices could be brought in from other states. Another problem is kids riding e-bikes irresponsibly. Although underage for the grants, kids obviously will be driving many of the subsidized e-bikes.
We’ll examine the new safety bills as they come. But CARB should put the brakes on subsidizing expensive e-bikes that won’t do anything for the climate but might help put a few more people in the hospital.
If government officials want to spend their own money helping people buy e-bikes, fine. But government shouldn’t be wasting time and money with efforts like this.