Electronic bikes (e-bikes) continue to be on the rise, according to a recent study by the University of British Columbia鈥檚 Research on Active Transportation Lab (REACT).
The latest study look place with help from the District of Saanich鈥檚 e-bike rebate incentive program and showed that after a year with their e-bikes, most users continued to use their bikes as a substitute for car travel.
The program, which took place from 2021-22 included three different rebates that were offered based off income. The basic rebate allowed riders to claim $350, while the rebate for low-income households that could claim $1,600.
In this timeframe, the use of e-bikes surged 93 per cent while 60 per cent were new cycliers altogether.
鈥淭he larger incentives aimed at lower-income families did a great job getting new riders in the saddle and gave them a lower-cost alternative to using their cars,鈥� said Dr. Alex Bigazzi, lead investigator at UBC鈥檚 REACT Lab.
According to research, eight out of 10 participants who received the largest rebate would only have purchased an e-bike with the subsidy, while only two out of 10 would have purchased an e-bike with a $350 incentive.
One year after purchasing their e-bikes, participants in the research said they reduced their weekly car travel by 48 kilometres, a 30-40 per cent reduction.
鈥淭he incentive not only encouraged people to switch to e-bikes, it also resulted in remarkable changes in travel behaviour that persisted long after the purchase,鈥� said Dr. Bigazzi.
The reduction in driving saw a reduction in travel-related greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 16 kilometres of carbon dioxide a year later.
Despite common criticism of the high costs associated with e-bike incentives, the Saanich rebate program was competitive with other transportation subsidies in Canada, costing approximately $190 to $720 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions.
鈥淭his suggests that e-bike incentives are more cost-effective in reducing emissions compared to electric car incentives, and that鈥檚 without including a range of cycling-related benefits such as increased physical activity, reduced local air pollutants and decreased travel costs,鈥� Dr. Bigazzi said.
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