The thinking went that the devices, which have grown increasingly popular in recent years, would give residents a feasible alternative to driving to work, the grocery store, or to visit relatives.
To offset the cost of the e-bikes, which can run in the thousands of dollars, the state launched a generous voucher program — one that heavily subsidized, and in some cases completely offset, the purchase price. Demand soared.
That's when the problems began.
Vouchers were quickly snatched up. A website set up to manage applications crashed amid heavy demand.
Despite wide public interest, the program quietly and abruptly ended last year — a victim, in some ways, of its own success.
Now the state is pivoting, leaving cycling advocates disappointed and those who were able to snag e-bike vouchers counting their lucky stars.
Briana Villaverde was one of about 2,300 Californians who secured a state-funded voucher that reduced the out-of-pocket cost for her Urtopia e-bike.
The 26-year-old Paramount resident relies on her ride to get to the L.A. Metro A Line in Compton as part of her daily work commute. Her bright yellow two-wheeler would often turn heads.
That attention would turn to intrigue when she explained that the sweet ride had only set her back $90.
"There's this program," she would tell admirers. "Whip out your phone."
The California Air Resources Board began the California E-Bike Incentive Project in 2022 with the goal of lowering cost barriers to e-bikes, which use electric motors to propel riders along faster and easier than a normal pedal-powered bike.
The pilot program differed from past state rebates and tax credits for electric cars in that applicants didn't have to first purchase an e-bike to get the incentive. Instead, California provided vouchers of up to $2,000 that acted as a discount at the point of purchase with participating businesses.
As of Jan. 2, following the official end of the program, 2,359 vouchers had been awarded statewide, with 2,246 of those redeemed to purchase an e-bike.
The program initially had about $13 million at its disposal: $10 million worth of general funds and an additional $3 million from the state's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, according to CARB. Another $18 million was later allocated for the program, the agency said.
When the vouchers were first made available to the public in December 2024, it was through a first-come, first-serve online system. The following April, the state offered more vouchers using a lottery system.
But each time a window opened, the application website was flooded by an overwhelming amount of people — more than 100,000 — leading to frozen webpages and error messages.
By comparison, only 2,500 total vouchers were offered during the two application windows.
Villaverde was one of the tens of thousands of people who battled the application queue — "Their queue couldn't handle the capacity, which again, speaks to the popularity of the program."
She ultimately had to try three times.
"It felt like we were fighting for concert tickets," she said.
She had hoped to apply for a voucher for herself, as well as help her mom and uncle do likewise. That didn't happen.
Instead of a third public application window, the final vouchers were distributed by 25 community-based organizations that partnered with CARB.
That's ultimately how Villaverde secured her voucher. She was offered a code by Healthy Active Streets, a Long Beach-based organization that advocates for bike-friendly policies among other community issues.
The demand was apparent. Some cycling advocates say they were under the impression additional vouchers — that would have been funded by the subsequent $18 million in state funding — were on the horizon as soon as a new administrator of the program was secured.
But those dollars were instead diverted to CARB's Clean Cars 4 All program, which helps lower-income Californians trade in their gas-fueled vehicles for new or used plug-in hybrid electric, zero-emission vehicles or motorcycles, she said.
"California is committed to supporting e-bikes as a clean mobility alternative to vehicles. But, ultimately, the state has a limited budget and many competing priorities," CARB spokesperson Bradley Branan told The Times.
Lindsay Buckley, director of communications for CARB, said that "both programs advance the state's goal of increasing access to clean transportation options."
Kendra Ramsey, executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition, said she understands CARB's hands were tied when it comes to the funding, but she thinks the change in focus doesn't make economic sense. While both electric vehicles and e-bikes can help reduce the number of fully gas-powered vehicles on the road, $18 million in funding would purchase far more of the latter, she argued.
"The money required for a low-income household to purchase and pay off an electric vehicle is much higher than the amount for an electric bicycle," she said.
The average price for a new electric vehicle is an estimated $57,245, according to Kelley Blue Book. Prices for used EVs range widely, but they often cost more than $10,000 and can be significantly more than that, according to Recurrent, a research company that analyzes electric vehicles.
By comparison, even higher-end e-bikes typically cost in the $6,000-to-$7,000 range, and many cost far less, according to Consumer Reports.
The e-bike incentive program was geared toward lower-income individuals with household incomes at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. As of 2024, that was about $45,000 a year for a single-person household, and $61,000 for a two-person household.
Qualified applicants for the Clean Cars 4 All program must meet those same income requirements, but they also must have an eligible vehicle to trade in — another barrier for lower-income Californians, cycling advocates argue.
The e-bike incentive program was unique because it gave residents the opportunity to afford an alternative method of transportation that could otherwise be cost prohibitive, according to Jared Sanchez, policy director at CalBike.
The way e-bikes were promoted through the program was a "tremendous opportunity to shift the way folks are getting around," he said.
California, however, has doubled down on its commitment to making electric vehicles accessible and economically appealing after the Trump administration ended federal tax credits of up to $7,500 for EV customers. Buckley also noted that the state has invested nearly $45 million into a program that funds car share, bike share, vanpool and ride-sharing projects in disadvantaged communities.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has also proposed allocating $200 million for a new point-of-sale incentive program for light-duty zero-emissions vehicles.
One Friday afternoon, Villaverde pulled up to the Metro Compton Station on her yellow Urtopia clad in a black helmet and reflective vest.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Villaverde has used public transportation since she was 10. It became her preferred mode of transport after being the passenger in a couple of car accidents that left her feeling on edge whenever she entered a vehicle.
Once Villaverde redeemed her voucher at 562 Ebikes Electric Bicycle in Bellflower, one of 450 retailers that signed on to participate statewide, she said it exponentially improved her commute.
The bike, made of carbon fiber and weighing about 29 pounds, had a longer range and a better battery life than her old electric scooter.
Aside from commuting, having the ability to go for a leisure ride on the Los Angeles River Trail "does wonders for your mental health," Villaverde said.
That's what people will be missing out on now that the e-bike incentive program is gone, she said. While an EV is environmentally friendly, she argues it's sedentary.
"It's not just about emissions," Villaverde said, it's also about getting people reacquainted with their surroundings as they do their part in reducing pollution.
CARB officials said an e-bike incentive project could come back. Of course, that depends on whether new funding becomes available.
© 2026 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
