13 October 2023
Islanders will, this month, get another opportunity to apply for a voucher towards the cost of buying an e-bike.
The fourth quarterly application window will open on Monday 30 October, this time on a first-come, first-served basis rather than the lottery system which operated earlier in the year.
Vouchers for £300 for a standard e-bike, £600 for an e-cargo bike, and £600 for an adapted e-cycle are backed by the Climate Emergency Fund, which supports the policies of the Carbon Neutral Roadmap to speed up the adoption of electric vehicles and reduce Jersey's transport-related emissions.
Vouchers totalling £81,300 have so far been redeemed, already supporting the purchase of 233 bikes. Feedback from a recent survey showed that the majority of e-bikes purchased with the grants are being used for commuting, with 88% of respondents saying their new e-bike has allowed them to reduce their car or van journeys.
Assistant Minister for the Environment, Deputy Hiliary Jeune, said: "We're committed to speeding up the electrification of transport in Jersey as a vital part of our work to reduce the Island's emissions. Switching away from the lottery element to a 'first come, first served' format will hopefully ensure those who want the vouchers most can access the support.
"The redemption rate from those lucky enough to win vouchers in the first few rounds has not been as high as we'd have liked. The feedback we've had from some of those who haven't used their vouchers is that they simply hadn't considered or appreciated the amount they'd need to contribute themselves towards the purchase."
A total of £300,000 has been allocated to the scheme for its two-year duration, aiming to incentivise behaviour change away from car journeys to this low emission alternative way of getting around.
Funding for 200 standard e-bikes, 50 e-cargo bikes and ten adapted e-cycles is allocated for this next application window, which will open at 1pm on Monday 30 October, via www.gov.je/ebike.
Applications will remain open until all grants from this release have been awarded.
gov.je