Polis says all Coloradans will get $450 discount on popular piece of outdoor gear

On March 28, Governor Polis announced that the Colorado Energy Office and the Colorado Department of Transportation are set to launch a statewide electric bicycle tax credit program – the first of its scale in the United States.

Starting on April 1, 2024, anyone living in Colorado will be able to get a $450 discount at the point of sale when they purchase an e-bike from a participating retailer. Retailers also get a $50 kickback as an incentive to offer the discount.

The e-bike tax credit system is part of House Bill 23-1272, titled "Tax Policy that Advances Decarbonization." Polis signed the bill into law following the 2023 legislative session.

In the past, various local programs have offered e-bike discounts for some Colorado residents, but no statewide program that encompasses all residents has been previously implemented. It's also worth noting that many previous programs have restricted the type of e-bike that can be purchased, focused on discounting commuter bikes. That appears to not be the case with this new program, which will presumably include electric mountain bikes.

The hope is that the incentive program makes e-bikes more accessible, thus that more Coloradans will have a feasible alternative to driving a vehicle.

While some are praising the move, others are asking why the incentive only applies to new e-bikes and not used bikes or standard pedal bikes. Questions have also been asked about being able to stack this incentive with other incentives already being offered related to the purchase of a new e-bike, in addition to questions related to online purchases.

The definition of an 'electric bicycle' includes electric adaptive bicycles. The full definition of an e-bike as defined in Colorado Revised Statute Title 42 is as follows:

"Electrical assisted bicycle” means a vehicle having two or three wheels, fully operable pedals, and an electric motor not exceeding seven hundred fifty watts of power."

E-bikes must also conform to one of the three e-bike classes that have been previously established.

The popularity of e-bikes has grown over recent years, with e-bikes now available for road, dirt, and gravel terrain. Outside of taking the strain out of a bicycle commute, e-bikes are also popular among members of the outdoor recreation community, allowing the ride to last longer and making uphill segments of routes easier to tackle.

The full text of the signed bill, with additional information about qualified retailers and more, can be found here.