The other day at a retail store, a man who worked there was standing near the cash registers as I walked by. He was wearing plastic body armor so I asked him why — he said it was for his e-bike when he rides to and from work. With gas prices so high right now, it must have helped him to charge his e-bike with cheap electricity rather than paying for overpriced gasoline to use in a polluting car. It wasn’t the right time to get into particular details about his e-bike and how much he was saving, but it did seem to be a good example of how electric transportation works for local people who live and work in a small town. Recently, I was able to interview Ava Community Energy in the Bay Area about its e-bike program which operates on a much larger scale than one might expect. Howard Chang, CEO of Ava Community Energy, answered some questions for CleanTechnica. How is the Ava Bike Electric program boosting small businesses? A key design feature of Ava Bike Electric is that rebates can only be redeemed at participating local bike shops. Participants are not able to use their rebate for online purchases or big-box retailers. This approach ensures that: Rebate dollars stay in the local economy, circulating through the communities we serve. Local bike shops directly benefit from increased purchases of e-bikes, accessories, and safety equipment. Shops gain long-term customers who return for maintenance, repairs, and upgrades, and customers benefit from having a known and established service provider for these needs. Many participating bike shops have reported increased foot traffic and sales from the program. Why is Ava supporting e-bike adoption? Ava aims to make clean energy more accessible and useful to the communities we serve, and transportation is one of the biggest opportunity areas. Transportation is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions in our region. E-bikes offer a practical alternative to car trips, which means fewer emissions, less traffic, and cleaner air. E-bikes also offer significant benefits to our customers: they lower household transportation costs, extend the range compared to typical biking, and open up cycling to people who might otherwise rule it out due to distance, terrain, or physical limitations. Why are e-bikes becoming the first EV for some households? E-bikes are one of the most affordable options for households looking to experience electric mobility. The upfront cost, ongoing maintenance, and parking (free!) are far less than a fossil fuel-powered car and even less than an EV, and the learning curve is negligible. In the first 9 months since launching Ava Bike Electric, participants have logged approximately 1,079,000 miles on their e-bikes. 62% of participants report driving less, and now use their e-bike for commutes, errands, and other trips around town that they would have otherwise used their car for. What will happen at Ava’s next E-bike Test and Ride event? Ava’s next E-bike Test & Ride event will take place on June 27th at Coliseum BART Station, in partnership with Bike East Bay. The first event, held in November 2025, drew more than 300 attendees who tested e-bikes, connected with local bike shops, and learned about Ava’s rebates & resources, as well as those from our community partners. The strong turnout highlighted the value of giving residents a hands-on opportunity to experience e-bikes before making a purchase decision. The event directly supports the goals of Ava Bike Electric by making e-bikes more accessible and affordable for residents while helping reduce transportation emissions. It also helps drive awareness of the program by connecting attendees with the resources they need to feel confident about choosing an e-bike. Attendees will have the opportunity to: Test ride a variety of e-bike models firsthand Meet local bike shops and compare options Learn about Ava Bike Electric rebates and eligibility requirements Access free bike education, safety information, community groups, and resources How many e-bike incentives has Ava provided so far? As of our most recent random drawing on April 28, Ava has dispersed 15,021 rebates, with 26% dispersed to income-qualified customers. What are e-bikes in your area most used for? Participating bike shops are reporting that customers are using e-bikes as another form of transportation to ease the pain and costs of driving and traffic. Families are using e-bikes to transport kids to school and other activities, and others are replacing their cars with cargo e-bikes. One bike shop reported that an Army veteran redeemed their rebate to get back into cycling despite physical limitations. What energy sources power the e-bikes charged by Ava customers? Customers in Ava’s service area choose between Ava and PG&E for their electricity generation. Ava offers two service plans: Bright Choice, which draws primarily from renewable and large hydroelectric sources, and Renewable 100, which is 100% renewable. You can see a full breakdown of our energy sources at AvaEnergy.org/compare-service-plans
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