Charlottesville, VA to Offer $1,000 Grants for New E-Bikes Starting Next Week
Charlottesville, Virginia, is rolling out a new pilot program to help residents purchase electric bikes, with $1,000 “mini grants” up for grabs. The program will distribute these grants to 25 lucky individuals every three months throughout 2025. If you’re interested in applying for the first round, make sure to submit your application by Friday, January 31.
To qualify, you must be a Charlottesville resident over the age of 18, though city employees are excluded. The initiative aims to encourage more people to adopt e-bikes for commuting, which will help reduce carbon emissions and ease traffic congestion, according to the program’s website.
The city plans to allocate a total of $100,000 in grants to 100 residents over the course of 2025. Thomas Safranek, Charlottesville’s bike and pedestrian coordinator, shared that those selected will receive $1,000 vouchers that can be used toward purchasing a new e-bike from one of three participating local stores: Endeavor Cycles, Blue Ridge Cyclery, and Blue Wheel.
E-bikes typically cost between $1,500 and $4,000, and they offer a more comfortable and efficient alternative to traditional bikes. With features like a motorized throttle that helps riders reach speeds of 20 to 25 mph, e-bikes are built to make commuting easier and safer. According to Mark McLewee, co-owner of Blue Wheel Bikes, the ability to quickly accelerate to match the speed of traffic makes e-bikes safer on the road.
As of Thursday, roughly 1,000 people had already applied for the program. Grantees will be randomly selected. Safranek hopes to extend the program for the next five years and plans to review its effectiveness to make adjustments along the way, including exploring ways to make the program more accessible to lower-income individuals who might need additional financial support beyond the $1,000 grant.
“This is just the pilot program,” Safranek noted. “We kept it simple for the first year to get more bikes on the road. The more bikes there are, the safer it will be.”
How to Apply:
If you’re a Charlottesville resident and want to apply for the e-bike voucher program, visit the application page here. Each quarter in 2025, 25 people will be randomly selected to receive $1,000 grants, which can be used at participating local bike shops: Endeavor Cycles, Blue Ridge Cyclery, and Blue Wheel. The program is open to all residents aged 18 and older, excluding city employees.
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