E-Bike Programs
E-bikes can make bicycling accessible to more people and make it easier to bike with kids, groceries, or other gear. E-bike programs support access to e-bikes and e-bike education – supporting more people to choose bicycling for everyday trips.
E-Bike Rebate Pilot Program Results
In Spring 2025, the City of Tacoma launched an e-bike rebate program to make e-bikes more affordable and support new riders! This program was funded by a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA).
Who Was Eligible to Apply?
To be eligible for an e-bike rebate, applicants had to:
- Reside in Washington state
- Be at least 16 years old when they apply
- Provide contact information when they apply, including a physical address, email address, phone number and demographic information
Did Everyone Who Applied Get a Rebate?
No – not everyone who applied for a voucher received one.1,967 Tacoma residents applied for the program and 401 Tacoma residents received an e-bike rebate through either the WSDOT or City of Tacoma e-bike rebate pgorams.
How Much Was the Rebate For?
If your annual household income* is equal to or lower than the totals below – you qualified for a $1,200 instant rebate. Everyone else qualified for a $300 instant rebate.
| Household Size | Annual Household Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $65,000 |
| 2 | $75,000 |
| 3 | $84,000 |
| 4 | $93,000 |
| 5 | $101,000 |
| 6 | $108,000 |
| 7 | $115,000 |
| 8 | $123,000 |
*A household is a group of people who file taxes together – visit the application website for more detailed guidance. Income guidelines vary by county based on the area median income – if you live outside of Tacoma/Pierce County, visit the application website to find income guidelines for your community.
2025 E-Bike Rebate Timeline
- April 9 – April 23: Application Period Open
- April 23 – May 2: WSDOT WE-Bike Instant Rebate Drawings
If selected in the statewide drawings – applicants received an email and had 96 hours to provide residency information and, if applicable, income verification. - May 5 – May 12: City of Tacoma E-Bike Rebate Drawings
If they were not selected in the WSDOT drawing, Tacoma residents living in an overburdened community highly impacted by air quality were automatically entered into the City of Tacoma e-bike rebate drawings. If selected, they received an email and had 96 hours to provide residency information and, if applicable, income verification. - Purchase a new e-bike at a partnering bike shop
Once documents were approved, e-bike rebate recipients received their voucher via email. They had 45 days, or until June 30 (whichever came first), to purchase a qualifying e-bike at a participating bike shop.
Using the Rebate
Rebates could only be used at eligible bike shops for approved e-bike models and will be single-use at point-of-sale.
Two Programs – One Application
All Tacoma residents age 16+ who provided the required contact information were eligible for WSDOT’s WE-Bike statewide instant e-bike rebate program. Some Tacoma residents, based on where they live, were also eligible for the City of Tacoma e-bike rebate pilot program.
WE-Bike: WSDOT’s Statewide Instant E-Bike Rebate Program: Led by the Washington Department of Transportation, this is the first statewide e-bike rebate program in Washington State! Learn more at the WE-Bike website.
City of Tacoma E-Bike Rebate Pilot Program: The City of Tacoma’s E-Bike Rebate pilot program focused on overburdened communities highly impacted by air pollution – thanks to grant funding from the Washington State Department of Ecology.
What is an overburdened community highly impacted by air pollution?
The Washington State Department of Ecology is working to improve air quality in Washington communities that are historically overburdened with health, social, and environmental inequities and are highly impacted by criteria air pollution, such as ozone and fine particles. They have identified sixteen Overburdened Communities Highly Impacted by Air Pollution across the state and offered grant funding to help address air quality in these neighborhoods.
Here is a map of these neighborhoods in Tacoma:
The City of Tacoma received grant funding from the Department of Ecology to offer e-bike rebates and distribute air purifiers in these neighborhoods.
Contact Us
To get in touch with the City of Tacoma’s active transportation team for general comments or questions, email tacomamobility@tacoma.gov.
Sign Up for Updates
To receive updates about this program and about the City’s work to make it safer and easier to walk, bike, and roll, sign up for the City’s active transportation mailing list.
ADA Notice
The City of Tacoma does not discriminate on the basis of disability in any of its programs, activities, or services. To request this information in an alternative format or to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Public Works Transportation Division at transportation@tacoma.gov or (253) 363.1135 (voice) or 711 (TTY).
Translation Services
¿Necesitas información en español? Cần thông tin bằng tiếng Việt? 한국어로 정보가 필요하십니까? ត្រូវការព័ត៌មានជាភាសាខ្មែរ? Нужна информация на усском? Потрібна інформація українською мовою? Contact Tacoma FIRST 311 at (253) 591-5000.
Program Funded by Washington’s Climate Commitment Act
The City of Tacoma’s E-bike Rebate pilot program is funded by the Department of Ecology with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA). The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.
FAQs
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Your documents will be reviewed within 10 business days. Once you have received your voucher code via email– you will have 45 days to purchase an e-bike at a participating bike shop. If it has not been used within 45 days or by June 30 (whichever comes sooner), the rebate will automatically expire.
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No – these are instant rebates. If you receive one – the amount of your rebate ($300 or $1,200) will be taken off the total purchase price when you buy a new e-bike that meets program requirements at an approved bike shop.
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The City of Tacoma worked to get the word out about e-bike rebates as widely as possible.
For in-person events, the City partnered with Tacoma on the Go (formerly known as Downtown on the Go) who hosted “Community E-bike Parties” in April for community members to learn more about the e-bike rebates. These events were held:
- Wednesday, April 9, 2025, from 4-7 p.m.: E-Bike Community Party at Catherine Ushka’s Gas Station Park (4801 Park Ave. S., in Tacoma)
- Saturday, April 12, 2025, from 10 a.m.– 1 p.m.: E-Bike Community Party at South Park Water Flume Line Trail (4851 South Tacoma Way, in Tacoma)
Additionally, the City of Tacoma attended Pierce County’s Bike Swap at Tacoma Community College and had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of community members interested in bicycling. The Bike Swap was held on:
- Saturday, April 19, 2025, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Pierce County Bike Swap at Tacoma Community College (6485 S. 19th Street, Tacoma, WA 98466)
The City also translated materials into Spanish, Vietnamese, and Khmer and worked closely with community ambassadors who led outreach in their communities.
Learn More
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www.tacoma.gov/ebikes