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A successful statewide e-bike incentive program should make safe, legal e-bikes more affordable while ensuring riders receive the education they need to use them safely. For lower-income New Yorkers especially, affordability and safety must go hand in hand.
Safety education should be a core part of any statewide incentive program. Local bike retailers are especially well positioned to help deliver it. In addition to providing compliant e-bikes, retailers can help participants select the right equipment, understand battery and charging safety, learn basic maintenance, and build confidence as new riders.
Shared Mobility Inc. (SMI) is testing this approach through e-bike rebate programs in Western New York and Westchester County. These programs are helping SMI better understand how incentive levels, retailer partnerships, point-of-sale discounts, safety education, and community outreach can work together in different parts of the state.
The lessons from these programs can help inform how New York expands e-bike incentives while balancing affordability, safety, access, and responsible use of public funding.
Shane shares with News 4 Buffalo how SMI’s e-bike rebate program is making clean, affordable transportation more accessible to residents of Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
Tyler brings SMI’s perspective to the New York State Assembly, speaking on the growing use and impact of e-bikes and e-scooters across New York.
The details of an incentive program matter.
SMI’s current programs are helping evaluate how different incentive levels affect participation and purchasing decisions. The goal is to provide enough assistance to overcome the cost barrier to ownership while using available funding efficiently enough to reach as many eligible residents as possible.
SMI’s programs allow participants to receive the discount directly through participating retailers rather than paying the full cost upfront and waiting for reimbursement. This is particularly important for lower-income households.
Clear equipment requirements can help ensure that public incentives support legal e-bikes and appropriately certified electrical systems.
Retailers can serve as more than redemption locations. They can provide product guidance, maintenance and service, battery safety information, and direct education for new riders.
SMI works with community-based organizations to connect residents with incentive opportunities, assist with participation, and identify barriers that may otherwise limit access.
SMI’s regional programs provide an opportunity to evaluate participant experiences, retailer feedback, demand, and program operations before these approaches are applied more broadly.
SMI’s Western New York program connects income-qualified residents with point-of-sale e-bike incentives, participating local retailers, and safety education.
Project MOVER provides eligible Westchester residents with e-bike purchase incentives alongside retailer support, safety education, and resources for new riders.
Western New York and Westchester offer different communities, transportation needs, and retail environments. Operating programs in both regions gives SMI an opportunity to understand how a common incentive framework can work across different parts of New York.
The objective is not simply to provide more rebates. It is to build an approach that expands affordable e-bike ownership while promoting safe equipment, informed riders, strong local retailer partnerships, and effective use of public funding.
As New York considers broader e-bike incentives, the experience gained through programs already operating on the ground can help shape what comes next.
No, New York has not yet adopted a statewide rebate or voucher program for e-bikes. A bill has been proposed that would create a Ride Clean Rebate program offering up to a 50% rebate (max $1,100).
Currently there are two e-bike rebate programs active in New York State both managed by Shared Mobility Inc, one in Westchester and one in Western New York. Outside of these programs, there have been proposals to establish an e-bike rebate program for New York City residents, however this program has not been fully funded.
A statewide incentive could create a more affordable pathway to purchasing legal, low-speed e-bikes from trusted local retailers instead of higher-speed or noncompliant electric devices. Modeled on SMI’s regional programs, incentives could also connect every participant with safety education covering safe riding, battery charging, maintenance, and New York’s e-bike laws.
Eligibility varies by program, but Shared Mobility Inc’s rebate programs are designed to support the purchase of safe, legal, low-speed e-bikes (Class 1 and 2 only) that meet applicable electrical and consumer safety standards. This includes requirements for appropriately certified batteries and electrical systems. Illegal e-motos, high-speed electric motorcycles, and other devices that fall outside New York’s legal Class 1 & Class 2 e-bike classifications are not eligible.
E-bike batteries and chargers should meet recognized safety standards and be used only as intended by the manufacturer. Riders should avoid damaged or modified batteries, use the correct charger, charge in a safe location away from exits and flammable materials, and follow proper storage and disposal guidance. Shared Mobility Inc. includes battery safety education in its rebate programs so participants understand how to safely charge, store, maintain, and care for their e-bikes.
Looking, thinking, and working ahead.
Jul 16, 2026
May 14, 2026
Mar 4, 2026
Shared Mobility Inc. works with governments, funders, community organizations, and transportation partners to develop and operate safe, equitable, and community-centered e-bike incentive programs.
Partner with SMI to bring affordable e-bike ownership to your community.