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The cycling revolution is going electric

27 November 2020

According to The Times, electric bike prices could be cut by up to a third under new government plans to offer commuters a “sweat-free” alternative to cycling to work. 

Taxpayers are set to back ministers’ new scheme to increase the number of people using electric bikes to commute or those who are older or less fit. Trials for this scheme will begin in the next five months and details of a full-scale programme will be released in spring next year after the outcome of the government’s spending review, which is expected to be concluded at the end of this month, is announced.

Electric bikes are currently priced on average between £600 and £3,000 which suggests that a grant is likely to run into hundreds of pounds. It is not yet clear as to whether this will be in addition to the recently introduced cycle-to-work scheme, giving directly employed higher-rate taxpayers up to 42 per cent off the cost of bikes, and the government’s £2 billion funding package announced in July to encourage people to cycle. 

The Times reported that one Whitehall source said it was “wrong that the only electric vehicles we don’t provide any taxpayer support for is a bike”.

E-bikes have a maximum speed of 15.5mph, faster than the max 12.5mph of an e-scooter.

Obvious benefits of using an e-bike over a regular bicycle include less perspiration for those who cycle to work in their business clothes and less physical strain for those who are older or less fit. 

The Times said that transport minister Chris Heaton-Harris responded to a parliamentary question, “[The government is] developing a national programme of support to boost e-bike uptake to the levels seen in many other countries”. 

Additionally, the transport minister said, “[The Department for Transport is] planning to support a number of pilot e-bike support schemes in the current financial year [up to March 2021] to help build an evidence base on the type of approaches which are most effective in increasing take-up of e-bikes”.

Chief executive of Cycing UK Sarah Mitchell said, “E-bikes flatten hills, cancel headwinds, turn short sweaty routes into a carefree ride, and above all they are fun. Nearly 70 per cent of journeys under five miles are driven. With the right incentives and right infrastructure in place, a mass uptake in e-bikes could provide a real alternative to households that previously relied on two or more cars.

“There’s no reason to be sniffy about e-bikes — they’re not cheating and have an important part to play in making cycling more accessible for more people.”

We at Marshall Leasing are pleased to see the government’s continued support for green transport alternatives. To find out more about how we can help your business go green, please contact us at info@marshall-leasing.co.uk or call 01480 414541. 

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