France wants to give €2,500 to citizens who trade in their cars for an ebike

France, a country already known for its bicycle culture, was one of the first to recognize the importance of cycling as a safe method of transit during the pandemic.

The French lawmakers have just approved a preliminary vote to introduce an initiative which offers residents €2,500 to trade in their old cars for an electric bicycle. Ebikes are wildly popular in France—in 2019 they accounted for more than 40 per cent of the country’s total bicycle market value, representing 535 million euros in sales.

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Last year France introduced a ‘bike boost’, which offered a 50 euro credit to anyone that needed a bike repair. More than 2 million French citizens took advantage of the credit.

Ebike credits in Canada

The Netherlands, Finland and Lithuania have all introduced similar measures France, and have all seen successful outcomes of their programs.

In Canada, there are a few provincially run programs that offer smaller, but still notable ebike credits.

B.C. residents who scrap a car through the Scrap-It program are eligible for a $1,050 credit towards and electric bike. Through the Specialty Use Vehicle Incentive, B.C. businesses buying cargo ebikes can apply for a rebate of up to $1,700. Quebec residents buying cargo ebikes can get a discount of $2,000.

Last month, Nova Scotia introduced an ebike rebate incentive. Residents buying an electric bike that costs $1,200 or more will receive a $500 rebate when they apply for the program.

Yukon also offers 25 per cent of the cost of a new electric bicycle up to a maximum of $750 and 25 per cent of the cost of a new electric cargo bicycle up to a maximum $1,500.

Other parts of Canada have paused similar programs due to high demand. An Edmonton initiative was launched last year, offering to cover 30 per cent of the cost of an ebike. The city shut down the program after just days of it being open, due to “overwhelming response.”