Tag Archive: Incentives

  1. Florence to benefit from cycling incentive scheme

    Comments Off on Florence to benefit from cycling incentive scheme

    The Italian city is introducing a monthly rewards program to boost rates of cycling in the area, using a dedicated app and the Pin Bike kit

    Source: The Florentine

    Starting from June, residents or those domiciled in Florence can take advantage of the incentive scheme which aims to boost rates of cycling to work or school. Participants can earn rewards both with regular and electrically assisted bicycles, they need to be over the age of 18, study and work in the city, and work or study in the municipalities that are part of the metropolitan area, such as Bagno a Ripoli, Calenzano, Campi Bisenzio, Lastra a Signa, Scandicci, Sesto Fiorentino and Signa.

    Under the banner of the “Florence for the Climate” agreement, a campaign which aims to improve air quality, the incentive scheme is reported to cost 1.2 million euros. Its goal is to increase statistics for people cycling to and from work or school, with particular routes around those commutes being eligible for the highest reimbursement at up to 0.2 euro per kilometre cycled.

    For users who take more than one regular route, two routes can be assigned in the app under home/school and home/work. For journeys around more general destinations, users can still count these, so long as they are biked within the cyclist’s municipality from Monday to Friday.

    The project is centered around an app and a kit developed by Pin Bike, featuring a patented anti-fraud system for certifying, monitoring, and gamifying urban routes. The kit includes a Bluetooth hardware device to verify bicycle usage, a smartphone handlebar mount, and signal lights. Users can book the kit online (with a total of 2,000 available) starting May 13 by downloading the Pin Bike app from Google Play or the Apple App Store and completing the application form. The kit can be collected from local council offices for public relations starting May 20 and will become operational on June 3. Incentives will be refunded via bank transfer and credited to the user’s current account.

    There are two types of reimbursements: one for individuals transitioning from a polluting vehicle to a bicycle for commuting between home and work, and one for regular bicycle users. Individuals switching from a motor vehicle to a bicycle for their commute between home and work or school will receive €0.20 per kilometer, plus €0.05 per kilometer on general routes within the Municipality of Florence. The maximum accrual is €2 per day and €30 per month. Regular bicycle commuters will be entitled to €0.15 per kilometer for commuting and €0.05 per kilometer on general routes, with a maximum accrual of €1.20 per day and €30 per month.

    Additionally, monthly prizes of up to €100 will be available for the 200 users who accumulate the most points on the app through activities such as kilometers cycled, participation in events, and completion of questionnaires.

    The Pin Bike app can be downloaded from Google Play or the Apple App Store. Applications for participation in Pedala, Firenze ti premia open on the app on May 13, while the scheme will start on June 3, 2024, coinciding with World Bicycle Day, and will run until June 2, 2025.

  2. E-bike incentives proven to reduce car travel and carbon emissions

    Comments Off on E-bike incentives proven to reduce car travel and carbon emissions

    Source: The University of British Columbia

    Study finds that rebate programmes are worth the investment due to significant environmental impact.

    Electric bicycle rebates have surged in popularity across North America as urban planners aim to steer individuals away from cars towards healthier, environmentally friendly alternatives. However, there is limited understanding of the full impact of these incentives.

    Insights from the Research on Active Transportation (REACT) Lab at the University of British Columbia (UBC) shed light on questions including whether these new cycling habits are sustainable, who benefits the most from incentives, and whether they are worth the cost. The study surveyed participants in an e-bike incentive program in Saanich, B.C., researchers discovered that the majority of new e-bike users sustained their biking habits as a substitute for car travel even a year post-purchase. Particularly, households with lower incomes exhibited the most significant reductions in car trips and carbon emissions, indicating that incentives effectively contribute to emission reduction.

    Reduced car travel

    The Saanich program, available from 2021 to 2022, offered varying rebates to offset e-bike costs. The rebate varied depending on household income, with the highest rebate reaching $1,600 for low-income households, and the lowest rebate amounting to $350. The results showcased a substantial uptake in e-bike adoption, with 93% of users being new to e-bikes and 60% entirely new to cycling.

    A year after the purchase, users remained content with their e-bikes, integrating them into their routines for 3-4 days each week. On average, they reduced weekly car travel by 48 kilometers, marking a 30-40% reduction.

    Principal investigator Dr. Alex Bigazzi, an associate professor of civil engineering at UBC leading REACT, emphasized “the enduring influence of incentives, especially among lower-income groups”The incentive not only encouraged people to switch to e-bikes, it also resulted in remarkable changes in travel behaviour that persisted long after the purchase,“.

    Notably, low income groups were most affected by incentives. 8 out of 10 would not have purchased an e-bike without the $1,600 incentive, compared to just 2 out of 10 of the $350 incentive group.

    Lower carbon emissions

    Reduced car usage translated into a notable decrease in travel-related greenhouse gas emissions, with users cutting down emissions by 16 kilograms of CO2 per week on average, one year after buying their e-bikes. Particularly, those benefiting from larger incentives displayed the most substantial reductions in car use and carbon emissions.

    “The larger incentives aimed at lower-income families did a great job getting new riders in the saddle and gave them a lower-cost alternative to using their cars,” Dr. Bigazzi said.

    Greater cost-effectiveness compared to EV rebates

    Contrary to popular criticism regarding their cost-effectiveness relative to climate benefits, the Saanich program proved competitive with other transportation subsidies in Canada, costing approximately $190 to $720 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions reduced. Dr. Bigazzi emphasized the superiority of e-bike incentives over electric vehicle rebates in emission reduction, underscoring additional benefits such as increased physical activity and reduced travel costs.

    The REACT Lab, in collaboration with the Province of B.C. and other researchers, is expanding its study to encompass the provincewide e-bike incentive program. This broader investigation will encompass factors such as climate variability, terrain, and cycling infrastructure, providing a more comprehensive understanding of their impacts.

  3. Oslo study shows e-bike subsidisation effective in encouraging active travel

    Comments Off on Oslo study shows e-bike subsidisation effective in encouraging active travel

    Source: Science Direct, Journal of Transport & Health Vol. 35, H.B. Sundfør, S. Berntsen, E.T. Bere, A. Fyhri

    Researchers have noted that although there have been multiple e-bike subsidisation programs in Europe, limited research has been done on the effects of these schemes on travel behaviour, and whether they encourage more cycling and physical activity.

    E-bike subvention study overview

    Hanne Beate Sundfør, Sveinung Berntsen, Elling Tufte Bere, and Aslak Fyhri conducted a study on the effects of e-bike incentivisation in Oslo, Norway during 2020. It looked at the short-term effects on citizens who received a subsidisation from the government towards purchasing an e-bike, paying special attention to how it affected their cycling and physical activity levels.

    The subvention from Oslo City Council offered to cover up to 50% of the cost of an e-bike for residents. The study involved subvention beneficiaries completing questionnaires about the distance they travelled on various modes, and overall distance. It also involved them self-reporting the time they spent on e-cycling, conventional cycling, walking, moderate physical activity, and vigorous physical activity.

    Bicycle usage and physical activity hypothesis

    The group tested 3 theories about e-bike purchase subsidization effects on everyday cycling and physical activity. Firstly, that subsidising e-bikes would increase bicycle usage for trips below 50 km. Secondly, that subventions would lead to an increase in MET physical activity due to more daily active travel, including e-biking, conventional cycling and walking. And thirdly that subsidising e-bikes would lead to higher overall MET minutes of physical activity, (where MET means metabolic equivalent of task, a fitness measurement that signifies how intense a physical exercise is).

    Results

    Findings showed that Oslo’s 2020 e-bike subvention program positively impacted cycling behaviour. The study team discovered an increase in distances travelled by bike, and cycling itself as a more commonly used transport mode. It found that the scheme resulted in e-bike activity climbing by 12.6%, with citizens using electric instead of conventional bikes, public transport and cars.

    The study also revealed that while e-biking increased, conventional bicycling and walking decreased. Interestingly the researchers discovered that there had been an increase in MET-minutes from active transportation overall, showing that the higher levels of e-biking exercise covered the reduced exercise from walking and conventional cycling, showing the positive effects of Oslo’s subvention on encouraging more active travel through e-biking.

    Learn about the study in more depth and how it could aid environmental and public health targets.

  4. Brabant incentive program has a positive effect on e-bike use

    Comments Off on Brabant incentive program has a positive effect on e-bike use

    Source: Fietsberaad

    A study on the Brabant bicycle incentive program, B-riders, revealed that 70% of participants cycled to work on an e-bike as many or more days as planned during the initial six months.

    The B-riders program ran between 2013 to 2018, aiming to encourage North Brabanders to switch from cars to e-bikes. Researchers at Utrecht University and TU Delft conducted the study into the participants’ behavioral changes. Participants, who were required to purchase e-bikes and not own one beforehand, received monetary incentives based on kilometres cycled during rush hours. The program, costing one million euros, successfully prevented over a million car journeys during peak times.

    Results

    In the first month, 51% of participants followed their intended commuting frequency, with 8% cycling more and the rest less. Notably, 47% of former car commuters and 55% of multimodal travellers cycled as planned, highlighting motorists’ underestimation of cycling days. Over the subsequent six months, 50% cycled as intended, 21% exceeded their plans, and 29% cycled less. Remarkably, 68% maintained their initial intentions, with 83% of those planning 4 to 5 cycling days per week sticking to their goals.

    Motivation

    The study found that factors like attitude towards cycling and goal feasibility had limited influence on participants. Financial rewards and the Netherlands’ cycling-friendly environment may have played a role. However, with all participants already positive towards e-bikes and having registered to take part in the program, the question of motivating less enthusiastic individuals to cycle more remains unanswered.

    Background

    The B-riders program surveyed participants three times, with 547 fully completing questionnaires. Published in the Journal of Cycling and Micromobility Research in December, the study concludes that the e-bike holds potential for substituting cars in commuting.

  5. Employer cycling incentives effective both short and long term

    Comments Off on Employer cycling incentives effective both short and long term

    Source: fietsberaad CROW

    Measures that encourage employees to cycle to work in the Netherlands are still effective not only in the short term but also after a number of years. In particular, remuneration campaigns and purchase allowances reduce the number of car journeys among employees. This is the result of a study by MuConsult based on data from Zuid Limburg Bereikbaar.

    Many employers try to encourage their employees to come to work by bike with measures such as e-bike borrowing, purchase subsidies and the provision of showers. They usually evaluate these measures only during and shortly after the project, and the results are almost always positive.

    Accessibility organisation Zuid Limburg Bereikbaar has been carrying out studies into the effects of its cycling programmes for some time. Because the incentives have remained roughly the same over that period, the data from those studies provide an opportunity to examine the longer-term effects. Employees of mobility consultancy MuConsult carried out this research and wrote an article about this that recently appeared in NM Magazine.

    Over a period of ten years, Zuid Limburg Bereikbaar conducted a total of twelve surveys among commuters. Many of them have joined a panel where there is data at the individual level over the years. There were 30,000 completed surveys available with at least two measuring points over time. The data provides insight into the mobility behaviour and car ownership of commuters and any changes therein.

    With a model study, the MuConsult researchers mapped out the effects in the short term and the longer term (about five years). In doing so, they took into account, among other things, autonomous developments, such as the Corona crisis, which led to a decrease in car journeys. Most measures led to 10-20% fewer car trips among the user group in the short term. In the longer term, this effect decreases by a few percentage points.

    Reward actions and purchase subsidies had the greatest effect. Reward actions led to 18% fewer car trips in the short term and 16% in the longer term, and purchase subsidies of up to 13% in the short term and 12% in the longer term.

  6. Lille offers incentive for drivers to choose greener transport modes

    Comments Off on Lille offers incentive for drivers to choose greener transport modes

    Source: TheMayor.eu

    Participants can enjoy a cash benefit for making use of any other mode of transport than the private car

    As more European cities make moves to decrease congestion in improve quality of life for residents, the metropolitan authorities of Lille have launched the new incentive campaign, Ecobonus “Changing, it pays off” (Changer, ça rapporte). The goal of the scheme is to make a tangible improvement to traffic jams in the city, especially during the congested rush hour. Announced in late March, interested drivers have until May 12 2023 to sign up.

    The campaign concept and key word is “change”, with the aim of encouraging a change in habits for commuting to work. The private car is currently still the most popular mode of transport for such a journey, and making changes to long-established habits can be hard to do.

    How does it work?

    Registered participants can get a generous 2 euros for every solo journey that they avoid taking by private car, direct to their bank account. This is capped at 80 euros per month, which would equal around 1.3 journeys per day, or a working week’s there-and-back-again commutes.

    Alternatives to driving alone might include carpooling, cycling, telecommuting, using public transport or shifting trips to fall outside of peak hours. All of these are included as legitimate modes to count towards the incentive, and the only excluded change is a change of route whilst still driving solo.

    The scheme is delivered via the “Changer, ça rapporte” app, where participants need to report each eligible journey. The campaign will run experimentally over a 9 month period, from September 2023 to June 2024, on the A1 and A23 motorways leading into Lille. If data shows a reduction in congestion in the targeted times and areas, the incentive may be extended to include other roads. From June 2024, it is intended that the incentive be made permanent, via a loyalty program partnership with local merchants.

  7. French government to offer €6,000 conversion bonus for electric scooters and motorcycles

    Comments Off on French government to offer €6,000 conversion bonus for electric scooters and motorcycles

    Source: Cleanrider

    The French government has announced an unprecedented conversion bonus for the purchase of electric or very low-polluting vehicles. This figure could reach €6,000 depending on income conditions, with full details yet to be confirmed. In practice, the new premium will replace the current subsidies offered in France.

    Alongside this incentive, the French government has highlighted further plans to increase the prevalence of electric two-wheelers in the population. Further communication and coverage regarding the safety of two wheels will be implemented, with safety training incorporated into the B license. Additionally, from 2022 a new generation of radars will be installed with the goal to control noise emissions of two-wheelers.

  8. Up to $1,500 in tax credits proposed for ebike buyers in Biden plan

    Comments Off on Up to $1,500 in tax credits proposed for ebike buyers in Biden plan

    As part of the Build Back Better proposal, purchasers could get a credit of up to 30 percent against the cost of the bike

    Source: The Verge

    A proposed federal tax credit for new electric bike purchases has passed the most recent round in Congress, with the especially positive news being that, following its reduction by the House of Representatives to 15 percent, the credit rate is back to 30 percent.

    Ebikes are an invaluable tool in improving not only the health of our planet, but also the general population, and such an incentive could have a real impact on the uptake of electric powered bicycles in the United States. In an country where mass adoption of ebikes is still struggling, such a move has the potential to make a real impact on the population, and on related infrastructure.

    All three ebike classes are included as eligible in the incentive, up to a wattage of 750, and with the 30 percent refund capped at $1,500. It is worth noting, that as a fully refundable tax credit, lower-income individuals would be to claim it

    As for further details, the proposal would not be applicable to ebikes costing over $8,000, and the 30 percent credit is gradually reduced once the bicycles costs more than $5,000. It is also a means-tested concept, therefore according to tax status, the credit would begin phasing out $200 for every $1,000 spent on the purchase for individuals who earn $75,000, heads of household earning $112,500, and married couples who file jointly earning $150,000.

    This would be a welcome move for climate and active mobility campaigners. Indeed, the cause of protecting both our environment and our health naturally go hand in had. With ebikes costing thousands of dollars as standard, such incentives can help to make real progress in these areas and change lives. In reporting on the credit, Verge noted that a recent study found that if 15 percent of car trips were made by e-bike, carbon emissions would drop by 12 percent.

    Further benefits found within the lengthy, 1,600 page bill may be welcome news to cyclists, with pre-tax commuter benefits for those who cycle to work or use bikes shares, similar to those which exist for people using park-and-ride or public transit. The proposed bicycle benefit would allow cyclists to get up to 30 percent of the parking benefit — currently equivalent to $81 a month, less than $1,000 a year.

  9. icct considers potential of charging methods and incentives to catalyse electric two-wheeler market

    Comments Off on icct considers potential of charging methods and incentives to catalyse electric two-wheeler market

    Following on from an article about state government incentives in India are making many electric two-wheeler models near equivalent in price to gasoline models, a new piece by The International Council on Clean Transportation (icct) looks in detail at Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and charging infrastructure incentives.

    Two-wheelers are a mass market in India, and lower upfront costs also equate to lower monthly costs for those who borrow. But what about running costs? Fuel is the key factor, and with gasoline prices rising, and set to continue to do so, electric two-wheelers present a very appetising alternative.

    The article takes a look at range, noting that many short-range electric two-wheeler models can achieve 75 km to 100 km of real world-range in city driving conditions, while mid-range models with real-world range closer to 150 km are in the pipeline. And with these figures and general usage patterns, charging could be well managed at home only. Home charging, however, relies very much on the user’s behaviour and can present a range of particular obstacles. For these reasons, public charging infrastructure is also important in the electric mobility big picture.

    It is noted that there would be a greater reliance on public charging in the earlier years of adoption, while home facilities are installed and integrated into new developments. The author goes on to break down the TCO considerations when including the impact of public charging:

    “From our earlier work, we know that electric models have a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) than gasoline models at current gasoline prices and with home charging. Since the cost of public charging can be high, sometimes twice as high as residential electricity tariffs, I build here on our cost parity model to examine what happens to TCO parity under different charging scenarios. I assumed the average residential electricity tariff to be INR 7/kWh and the average public charging tariff to be INR 14/kWh. Further, I looked at the impact on TCO parity at two baseline prices for gasoline—average prices in 2021 and in 2019—and included a 5% annual escalation in both electricity and gasoline costs.”

    The charts below show the timescales at which a 150km real-world range electric motorbike may reach 10 year TCO cost parity with gasoline fueled motorbikes, first without, and then with incentives. The incentives calculation “includes the revised FAME-II upfront subsidy and the preferential Goods and Services Tax (GST) benefit for the electric model.”

    chart sourced from theicct.org
    chart sourced from theicct.org

    The figures illustrate that cost parity could be achieved by 2022 solely via home charging, and by 2023 with entirely public charging and no incentives. The charts also adjust to consider gasoline prices as they were 2 years prior, and at that rate parity is reached in 2023 with 100% home charging, and 2025 with only public charging. It can be seen that a lower gasoline price and reliance on public charging together cause the greatest delay in reaching TCO parity.

    By contrast, when the chart takes purchase incentives into account, parity is already be achieved even if relying solely on the more expensive public charging. On top of this, incentives can also counteract a gasoline cost reduction to 2019 prices. There author notes that, “the current upfront purchase incentives are playing an enabling role in alleviating any charging cost related anxiety that consumers might have. That’s especially useful in the early phases of the market when the infrastructure for home charging is less mature.”

    The article goes on to elaborate on some of the challenges and barriers involved in home charging, such as socket requirements, and objections from neighbours or housing associations. It concludes that achieving TCO parity is key to the adoption of electric two-wheelers by the mass market, and that it is therefore the perfect time for governments to take action in incentivising their uptake.

    Read the original in more detail here: https://theicct.org/charging-electric-2w-india-sept21?utm_source=ICCT+mailing+list&utm_campaign=d5a2a307e4-lately_from_feb2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ef73e76009-d5a2a307e4-510831568

Campaign success

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Member profile

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.