Electric bike riders in Portland, Oregon could benefit from a discount of between $1,600 and $2,350 on the price on a new ebike under a five-year, $20 million scheme just launched by the City of Portland and paid for via the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund.
The Portland Rides initiative is open to applicants over 18 years old and will prioritise communities disproportionately affected by climate change and low-income households with 60% or less of the median Portland income. Applicants must apply online and complete an online safety training module.
According to Seetha Ream-Rao, the fund’s transportation decarbonization program manager: "The program will support Portland’s deeply rooted bike culture, and will make commuting more affordable for low-income households, support healthier communities, improve transportation access and help the city reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
6,000 ebikes by 2029
The scheme aims to help fund more than 6,000 ebike purchases by 2029 and is designed to reduce transportation costs, lower emissions, offer alternative ways to commute and help to level up disadvantaged communities. It’s also aimed at supporting healthier and more connected communities.
The first funding round runs from 6 April to 24 July, with successful applicants selected at random and emailed from 27 April with details of how to claim the rebate, which will be available at 14 participating local bike shops.
While the $1,600 rebate applies to standard Class 1 and Class 2 electric bikes, the higher $2,350 figure is for electric cargo bikes, which can be used to carry goods or transport passengers, making them a great option for the school run.
There’s additional funding of up to $300 available to pay for locks, lights, helmets and other accessories.
Second round for adaptive ebikes
A second application round opens on April 20 for purchasers of adaptive ebikes. Since these are typically more expensive than standard electric bikes, the rebate offered is up to $8,500.
The Portland Rides scheme was soft launched in 2025 at Portland Community College, with strong demand reported for the 100 Class 1 ebikes made available to low-income students.
Full details of the Portland E-Bike Rebate Program, which is planned to run until 2029, are available at portlandbikerebate.com. A further round of funding is slated for later this summer and there's an event scheduled for 11 April at Parkrose Middle School, where riders can take a test ride and apply in person.
