City of Atlanta now offering rebates up to $2K for new e-bike

ATLANTA - Starting Sunday, anyone inside the City of Atlanta can apply for rebates to go toward a new e-bike.

"We want people to see e-bikes as fun and functional," Jeremiah Jones with PropelATL said.

That's why PropelATL worked with Atlanta City Councilmember Matt Westmoreland to get the city's first e-bike rebate program rolling.

"I was in Denver. Denver has an e-bike rebate program, and I was like why not Atlanta," Jones explained.

The city invested $1 million in the program, which is being run by the Atlanta Regional Commission. Anyone can apply for some free cash.

Seventy-five percent of rebates will be reserved for Atlanta residents earning less than about $54,000 a year. Those rebates range from $1,500 for a standard e-bike or $2,000 for a larger cargo bike, able to carry items or another passenger.

Other residents can still get $500 for a standard e-bike and $1,000 for a cargo bike.

"Right now, it's only for city of Atlanta residents and that's because the city of Atlanta gave the million dollars, but we are going after federal grants right now in hopes that we can take it to the region," Jones explained.

Winners will have 12 vendors within the city to choose from to purchase their bikes. The bikes can go over 20 miles an hour and some have a range of 50 miles.

"Eighty percent of our trips are within a 3 to 5-mile radius of our homes, and so if we can change that option from a car to a bike, just think about what we're doing for the environment and for our own personal health," Jones said.

"Having multiple options in a family in a household is a great thing," he added.

The lottery window is open until June 23. Jones said there will be at least two others later this year to make sure all the funds get into the hands of eager riders.

The application is open on Atlanta Regional Commission's website.