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May 14, 2024
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Among countries that invest in cycling infrastructure, Belgium ranks fifth in spending on a per capita basis. The country invests 5.2 euro per inhabitant. Those funds are directed into infrastructure and policy, making it both safer and easier to get around by bike.
That’s not all the government does for its citizens, though. While the national government doesn’t offer an incentive to purchase an e-bike, several regional governments and many cities offer incentives to purchase e-bikes.
In the Brussels-Capital Region, residents can receive up to €505 that can be used to purchase a new or used e-bike (provided the used e-bike is sold by a retailer) as well as many different accessories ranging from accessories such as lights and locks to child seats or helmets. The amount of the incentive is based on the purchase price.
In Wallonia, the government offers an e-bike incentive of up to €1250. Depending on the type of e-bike, residents may receive up to 20, 30 or 40 percent of the purchase price. Flanders does not offer a purchase incentive, but there is a program for employers to pay their employees €0.23 per kilometer ridden to and from work.
More than three dozen municipalities in Belgium offer their residents e-bike incentives as well. They range from €50 at the low end up to €500, depending on the city.
It’s encouraging to see how other countries handle subsidies for e-bike and that their governments have come to the conclusion that a device that improves the health of their citizens, cuts their carbon footprint, reduces road congestion and is fun is worth investing in.
It is our hope that more states and cities will follow suit and either begin or increase the subsidies they offer. Studies have shown that offering incentives for EV purchases don’t move the needle; the people who buy a Tesla would buy it with or without the incentive, but an e-bike can make a big difference in the mobility of many low-to-moderate-income household and often an incentive can make the difference between affording one and not.
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