E-bikes are considered a good way to get people out of their cars and onto an environmentally friendly mode of transportation.
A study of one Vancouver Island community’s rebate program found that it is a good way to encourage people to buy an e-bike.
UBC’s Research on Active Transportation Lab studied the rebate program in Saanich and found incentives are cost-effective when it comes to reducing carbon emissions.
The study found that new e-bike users continued to regularly use their bikes as a substitute for car travel, even a year after purchase.
The researchers also found low-income households reduced their car trips and decreased carbon emissions the most.
The Saanich program in 2021 and 2022 created a significant surge in e-bike adoption, with 93 per cent of users being new to e-bikes, and 60 per cent new to cycling altogether.
One year after purchase, users continued to be satisfied with their e-bikes, integrating them into their routines for three to four days a week.
They reduced weekly car travel by an average of 48 kilometres per week, a reduction of 30-40 per cent.
