£1.3m electric bike fund for Scotland announced

The Scottish Government has released two new funds to encourage more people to start using electric bicycles.

The Low Carbon Transport Loan Fund will have £500,000 available for interest-free loans of up to £3,000 to help individuals and businesses purchase e-bikes and e-cargo bikes.

The E-bike Grant Fund will allocate £700,000 for local authorities, public sector agencies, community organisations, colleges and universities to encourage large scale e-bike adoption. It is expected grants will fund e-bike pools, secure cycle parking and safety equipment.

A further £100,000 will be available through the E-bike Grant Fund to let members of the public test ride e-bikes at Home Energy Scotland advice centres, active travel hubs and community centres.

Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity said: “These funds are the latest in a range of measures the Scottish Government is introducing to encourage sustainable and active travel.”

“We want more people, who undertake shorter journeys, to leave their cars at home and go by bike for the benefit of their health and our environment.

“E-bikes can be a great way of getting started with active travel as they offer as much assistance as the rider needs. They also make it easy for people to take heavy bags with them using panniers, trailers or by opting for an e-cargo bike in the first place.”