'Pretty remarkable': UBC study finds e-bike rebates led to decreased car use
There's new evidence that offering people incentives to purchase e-bikes can significantly reduce their reliance on cars.
A number of e-bike incentive programs have launched in B.C. over recent years, including in the Victoria-area city of Saanich, which offered buyers rebates of $350 to $1,600 through a pilot program in 2021 and 2022.
A study from the University of British Columbia found e-bike adoption subsequently surged in that community – with 60 per cent of purchasers being entirely new to cycling.
Those who took part also reduced their weekly vehicle travel by 48 kilometres on average, a decrease of 30-40 per cent.
"Travel behaviour has a lot of inertia, it doesn't change a lot," explained Alex Bigazzi, principle investigator on the study,
"So when you find things that get it to the double-digits of shifts in travel behavior, it's pretty remarkable."
Cycling advocates told CTV News it makes sense people with e-bikes would use them more than cars.
“There's a reason the couriers are all on bikes, it's a faster way of getting there than driving,” said Jeff Leigh, president of HUB Cycling Vancouver.
“They allow people to replace the shorter-distance vehicle trips.”
Buying an e-bike upfront can be pricey. In Vancouver, E-Nic Ebike sells the motorized transports for anywhere from $799 to around $4,000.
Manager Katy Lu told CTV News the bikes sell for an average of "about $1,500" – but that the price tag hasn't slowed sales, which she said are booming.
In the long run, experts said e-bikes could save their owners money.
“They're going to be saving on gas and wear and tear on their vehicle,” said Glenys Verhulst, Saanich’s sustainability planner.
Verhulst said some owners also "shed a vehicle if they’re a two-vehicle household and they become a one-vehicle household.”
She said the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Saanich comes from "personal transportation," and the district is looking into ways to cut down on that. E-bike incentives are just one of the tools.
Researchers said incentive programs can push people to more environmentally-friendly transportation, but the roads need to be friendly to riders as well.
“We can't just give people e-bikes,” Bigazzi said. “It has to be supported with a broader set of infrastructure and associated policies to make cycling safe.”
He said this study is a good step toward creating cheaper and more environmentally-friendly transportation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
MPs to decide on Speaker Fergus' invite flub as Conservatives advance effort to oust him
The federal Conservatives have advanced a motion that will force MPs to vote on whether to oust Greg Fergus as House of Commons Speaker, after MPs' deputy adjudicator ruled Monday that the Liberal member's allegedly errant partisan event invite required urgent attention.
Trial for B.C. man accused of killing, dismembering wife begins
The trial for a Langley man accused of killing his wife began Monday, with the prosecutor laying out a disturbing series of facts agreed upon by both Crown and defence.
Stars roar back to win Game 3 over Oilers
Jason Robertson's hat-trick goal midway through the third period broke a deadlock and proved to be the eventual winner as the Dallas Stars beat the host Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final to take a 2-1 series lead.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
WATCH Alta. man rescues wild foal trapped on steep cliffside
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
Severe thunderstorms, tornado watch in some areas of Canada. Here's where
Depending on where you live, you can expect to get a mixed bag of weather this week, as local forecasts predict heavy rain, strong wind, severe thunderstorms and even snowfall across some areas of Canada.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
Israel close to approving Gaza reunification program before Rafah invasion: Miller
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Israel seemed to be on the verge of approving a program to get Palestinian relatives of Canadians out of the Gaza Strip before the country's invasion of the town of Rafah.