Cash discount programs for electric cars, trucks and SUVs should be expanded to include e-bikes, sustainability and mobility advocates say.
E-bikes, or power-assisted bicycles, function like traditional bicycles, but are equipped with a battery-operated electric motor to give a boost when pedaling.
Erin O’Neil of Ottawa participates in the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and has scoured the market for an adult electric tricycle that can easily sell for $2,500 or more.
“E-bikes make it easier to cycle around, especially in a disabled body,” says O’Neil. “But it’s just not something on ODSP that I can afford.”
O’Neil adds that she has little patience with the idea that an e-bike is a luxury. For her, it would grant independence.
“It’s not a toy,” she says. “I live in an urban area and it’s something that could definitely help me get around.”
While the federal government recently expanded its electric car discount program to include SUVs and pickups, offering buyers up to $5,000 for cars under $55,000 and trucks under $60,000, e-bikes and e-cargobikes are not included.
“It feels really unfair, especially in a climate emergency, to see people getting that kind of money to drive trucks and cars around… and we’re just sitting on the sidelines,” O’Neil says. “We want to move as easily as you do, but we don’t. We’re just locked out.’
E-bike as a car replacement
With the birth of their second child, Jessica Barnes and her husband considered the pros and cons of buying a second vehicle.
“Often people will upgrade to a larger vehicle to accommodate a larger family, but we really didn’t feel right about that decision,” Barnes says.
Rather than add another car to the road, the Ottawa family decided last year to spend $8,000 on a front-bucket e-cargo bike to transport their two young children.
“If we wanted to make it easy and functional for our family, it had to have a little help,” she says.
While any future discount would come too late for Barnes, she says governments should focus more on replacing cars, not just the engines that power them.
“In order to encourage people to buy alternative modes of transport, there has to be some kind of financial support,” she says.
VIEW | Commuting by e-bike in Ottawa
Ottawa resident Jessica Barnes says her family chose an e-cargo bike over a second car to contribute to the city’s sustainability and active transportation culture.
As for the $8,000 price tag for her bike, Barnes says she still comes out on top compared to buying and owning a car.
‘What’s your insurance? What’s the bill for repairs?’ asks Barnes rhetorically. “I guarantee we’ll spend a lot less than someone with a car.”
And then there are the benefits that extend beyond their wallets.
“It’s so nice, [the kids] really enjoy it and can’t wait to go.”
Yukon, NS lead the way
In response to questions about why the federal government gives discounts for buying new electric vehicles (EVs) but not e-bikes, Transport Canada says its Zero-Emissions Vehicles program is helping the industry move toward price parity between vehicles with internal combustion engine and more expensive EVs, with the ultimate goal of increasing the share of EVs on the road.
The department adds that it is investing $400 million over five years to support active transportation infrastructure across Canada.
While the government is currently not helping e-bike buyers, several provinces, as well as Yukon, have introduced their own discounts.
Buyers of e-bikes in Nova Scotia can receive a discount of up to $500, while residents of Yukon receive a discount equal to 25 percent of the purchase price, capped at $750 for e-bikes and $1,500 for e-bikes. cargo bikes.
Companies in BC can collect up to $1,700 in aid for an e-cargo bike.
Ontario does not offer a discount for e-bikes, but both the Liberals and the Greens promise to introduce discounts in their election platforms.
Because e-bikes are the fastest growing segment of bicycle sales in Canada, the lack of a federal incentive program is a missed opportunity to improve sustainability, said Brian Pincott, executive director of the advocacy group Vélo Canada Bikes.
“E-bikes are much more likely to replace a car,” Pincott says. “Sustainability is not just swapping a traffic jam of gas-powered cars for a traffic jam of electric cars. We have to offer people opportunities to get out of the car.”
Pincott adds that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed glaring inequalities when it comes to people’s ability to get around.
“Giving everyone more transportation choices creates more equality in our communities, and we need to expand transportation choices, not just change the engine of the car,” he says.
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