E-bikes are expensive, but this congressman wants to make them more affordable

Electric bikes can transform the way we live by replacing car trips, encouraging cities to improve their infrastructure, and decreasing the amount of carbon we emit into the atmosphere. But e-bikes will be transformational only if people can afford them — and as of today, most e-bikes are prohibitively expensive.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) wants to change this. The 72-year-old congressman from Portland has introduced a bill to help make e-bikes cheaper, and thus more accessible. Along with Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Blumenauer helped author the Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment (E-BIKE) Act, which would give a refundable tax credit of 30 percent on the purchase of a new e-bike.

“The bottom line here is to fully...

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