Applications are open through April 23 for the Washington State Department of Transportation’s e-bike rebate lottery program.
People in a household earning 80% or less of their county’s median income could get up to $1,200 at participating bike shops that have physical stores and repair services in the state. Others can get $300.
For King County, 80% of the area’s median income is at $78,000 for a single person and $100,000 for a household of three.
WSDOT’s active transportation division has been working on this pilot program for two years and expects that 60% of more than $4 million set aside will go to people with lower incomes.
About 10,000 people could receive the rebate. The winners will be selected at random.
To be eligible for a rebate, you must be a Washington resident who is at least 16 years old.
Rebates are limited to one per household, though multiple people from a household can apply. The money can’t be used on e-bikes already purchased and must fit the three state-recognized classes, which does not include electric mountain bikes. Aftermarket retrofits don’t count, either.
Winners will receive an email asking them to provide qualifying documentation of their residency and their income qualification, if applicable, within 96 hours.
After their application is successfully completed, they’ll receive an instant rebate that is good for 45 days or by June 30, whichever comes soonest.
That money might be a chance to offset massive incoming price hikes for e-bikes that could come as a result of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff war.
Seattle Times staffer reporter Nicholas Deshais contributed to this report.
