The purchase of an electric bike can be an attractive idea. While being an environmentally clean vehicle, it can help travel long distances without making its rider too tired.
To make e-bike purchase more valet-friendly various subsidies, bonuses, and other “eco-checks” provide valuable financial assistance.
Read also: Best known electric bicycle brands in France.
Over the past couple of years, Electric Assisted Bicycles have progressively become an efficient mobility solution.
To respond to the growing e-bike phenomenon, Uber has deployed its e-bike rental service in Paris to compete with locally established Velib.
If you live in a large city and your daily commute is just a few kilometers, why not buy your own e-bike? This is where a major problem comes into play – e-bike prices are far from those for conventional bikes yet. In retail stores, e-bike prices start at around 1,000 euros.
To encourage purchases despite these prohibitive amounts, financial aid has been provided by the French State and local municipalities. Here is where this aid is available across the country.
Financial aid from the State
The “power-assisted bike bonus” granted by the French State can go up to 200 euros, and has a few conditions to be fulfilled:
- It can only be awarded if you have already received aid from your local municipality;
- The amount of this aid cannot exceed that provided by the municipality;
- This aid cannot cumulatively exceed the minimum of the two amounts: either 20% of the acquisition cost, including all taxes and excluding options and accessories or 200 euros;
- It is only granted to individuals, whose income tax contribution for the year preceding the purchase is zero.
Financial aid for individuals
Faced with the global movement to develop clean mobility, regions, cities, and municipalities are quite likely to offer their own assistance with the purchase of an electric bike.
Not all available financial aid options are listed below, so we advise you to contact your city or municipality when you are considering an e-bike purchase so that you do not miss on potential financial support.
Read also: What are the rules for speed e-bikes in France? One year in prison for derestricting electric bicycle speed in France.
Also note that many communities have started and then stopped their programs, often not being able to cope with high demand. In such a situation, it may make sense to wait a bit until your community puts such a program firmly in place.
- City of Paris: the aid is set at 33% of the purchase price, capped at 400€ (link to the program, in French).
- Bouches du Rhône (Marseille): this financial aid is set at 25% of the purchase price of an e-bike and is capped at 400€ (link to the program, in French).
- Occitanie region: “mobility eco-check” of 100€. It is also possible to obtain a “security bonus” of 50€, in order to buy security equipment (link to the program, in French).
- Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis: subsidy set at 25% of the purchase price including VAT, up to a limit of 150€ (link to the program, in French).
- Bordeaux Métropole: an aid of 100 euros for families, with income below a certain limit, and within the annual budget, allocated to this financial aid (link to the program, in French).
- Toulouse Métropole: the aid is € 200, for those, with a taxable income of less than € 28,800.
- Saint-Étienne Métropole: the aid is 200 € for a taxable person, 100 € for a non-taxable person. Can be used only once per household (link to the program, in French).
- Grand Poitiers: an “e-bike check”, valid exclusively with certain retail stores selected by Grand Poitiers. Allows obtaining a price reduction of 25%, capped at 250€ (link to the program, in French).
- Greater Lyon: the aid of Lyon city is 100 €.
- Orléans Métropole: those, whose monthly income is below €2,000 can benefit from an “e-bike check” grant of up to 25% of the purchase price, and up to € 300. This aid is valid only for purchases from partner retail stores (link to the program, in French).
- Caen: the aid amount corresponds to 25% of the purchase price, up to 250 € (link to the program, in French).
- Corsica: the transaction is set at 25% of the price and capped at € 500. The purchase must be made from a pre-defined e-bike dealer, who will deduct the amount at the time of purchase (link to the program, in French).
- Nantes Métropole: exclusively for a family e-bike or cargo e-bike (which allows carrying children, with fixtures for bags). The aid is fixed at 25% of the purchase price of the e-bike within the limit of 300€ (link to the program, in French).
Financial aid for companies
The financial aid to purchase an e-bike in France is widespread for individuals, it is a little more complicated for companies and professionals.
- Ile-de-France: for auto-entrepreneurs, small businesses and SMEs up to 50 people, there are two types of financial assistance depending on the power of the “two-wheel electric”. If the battery power is less than or equal to 10 kWh, the amount of financial assistance is capped at €1,500. It remains to be seen whether the Ile-de-France integrates bicycles in its definition of “two-wheel electric” since this sum is significantly higher than all other aids (link to the program, in French).
- City of Paris: self-entrepreneurs, small businesses and SMEs up to 50 employees in Paris can receive the assistance of up to € 400 for e-bike purchase or rental (link to the program, in French).
- Nantes Métropole: the amount of the subsidy is 25% on the cost of the e-bike, within the limit of 400 € maximum per vehicle and within the limit of 10 vehicles per company (link to the program, in French).
Read also: Ever considered offering e-bike as a gift? Or gifting one to yourself? Check out our suggestions – in this e-bike gift guide.
