Latest news with #ElijahSinclair
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Government officials announce 'transformative' $1,200 incentive for residents to buy e-bikes: 'We do think it will sell out'
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Eligible Massachusetts residents can now claim up to $1,200 in rebates on new e-bike purchases — a fresh reason to ride into a cleaner, more affordable future. The Boston Globe shared the news right after the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center officially launched the program. To ease access to e-bikes for low and moderate-income residents, MassCEC introduced the Massachusetts Statewide Electric Bike Incentive Program. In a press release, MassCEC stated that the program will award 500 vouchers per month over a six-month period until the total allocation of 3,000 vouchers is distributed. Qualified residents can get rebates amounting to between $800 and $1,200 depending on their income or needs. On top of that, all selected participants will receive a voucher of up to $150 for safety gear and a bike pump. Applications for the e-bike vouchers opened on April 14. Having seen a ton of demand before the launch, MassCEC program manager Elijah Sinclair said via the Globe, "We do think it will sell out." Initiatives like this encourage more people to embrace eco-friendly transport options. Along with such government programs, many brands are also doing their part. Upway, for instance, helps by offering e-bikes at up to 60% off retail prices. Its wide selection of affordable e-bikes makes it easy for people to find one that fits their budget. But the perks of e-bike commuting go far beyond affordability. Compared with cars, e-bikes save on gas, maintenance, parking, and insurance expenses, all of which can amount to thousands of dollars a year. When used for daily commutes, e-bikes don't just save you money upfront; they also cut down on transportation costs over the long term. More than the financial benefits, e-bike commuting also has health benefits. It allows people to build consistent exercise habits right into their daily routine, especially for those whose schedules leave no time for workouts. Also, if more people switch from gas guzzlers to electric alternatives, cities would enjoy cleaner air. That's a win for riders, neighborhoods, and the planet. Although this program is a big step toward expanding climate-friendly transit options, there's still more to be done. If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. As one Reddit user said: "As someone who just bought an e-bike, this is great news! My e-bike has greatly expanded my range and made it much easier to live without a car. If more people purchase e-bikes, I expect to see more paths and improved facilities for cyclists. Boston and the surrounding areas are beautiful places to visit on two wheels." Indeed, affordability is just one gear in the shift to eco-friendly transportation. Building truly sustainable cities also requires infrastructure that supports and protects all riders. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
State officials announce new plan to turn everyday cars into power sources: 'It could be serving huge loads across the grid'
Massachusetts is recruiting volunteers for a pilot program that turns electric vehicles into grid-supporting mobile powerhouses. It's called vehicle-to-everything, or V2X, an innovative plan that has been tried elsewhere with mixed success, according to Canary Media. But New England officials are hopeful they can learn enough from a trial run to prove the concept is viable to provide sustainable grid power. It's part of a clean energy plan through 2050 outlined by state officials. One goal is for Massachusetts to have 900,000 EVs on travel lanes by the end of the decade, according to Canary. Program leaders see untapped potential in the cars' power packs. "That could be a really important piece as we seek to get to net zero by 2050. It still requires a whole lot of infrastructure, and it's complicated for the utilities. But in the future, it could be serving huge loads across the grid," Massachusetts Clean Energy Center's Elijah Sinclair told the site. Sinclair is the center's transportation manager. It's using $6 million to provide and install up to 100 bi-drectional chargers, the two-way devices needed to both charge and provide electricity. Schools, businesses, and individuals are invited, all per Canary and the center. The report added that some V2X attempts floundered because of high costs and complexity. The system needs willing utilities to pay the participants for the power they provide. That part isn't unheard of, as virtual power plants leverage household batteries, including Tesla Powerwalls, for grid-supporting electricity. A VPP network in Southern California supplied enough juice last year when needed to prevent dirty fuel-burning support, Tesla Energy posted on X, formerly Twitter. Electrek reported that participants typically earn between $10 and $60 per "event." For V2X to be successful, EV owners will at some point have to take on the approximately $5,000 to $10,000 cost that Canary listed for the special chargers. It's a big hurdle the team in Massachusetts hopes to learn how to solve during the demo. "What went well, what did not go well, and what should be considered in moving these programs to a more mature scale," Kelly Helfrich of Resource Innovations said. The company works on clean energy projects and is co-leading the V2X effort. Battery-stored electricity, especially when renewably generated, can help to break a worrisome cycle. Burning fossil fuels to make energy is contributing to our heat-trapping air pollution burden, which NASA has linked to increased risks for severe weather. Those extreme storms are knocking out power lines, creating blackouts and grid strain. V2X efforts have been successful in Europe. Stateside, programs that use mostly idle electric school buses have shown promise. But ones in California and Baltimore have had mixed results. Another New England project works like a VPP — and also rewards EV owners for not charging during peak demand hours, all per Canary. If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. In Massachusetts, officials plan to finish the V2X project in December 2026. The program page lists the Ford Lightning and Nissan Leaf as eligible vehicles, with more options for commercial participants. Federal tax rebates remain to help offset EV purchases, in addition to the $1,500 you can save in gas and maintenance costs when switching. It's part of a cleaner transportation strategy that can include walking and public options, regardless where you live. In New England, V2X organizers need to develop a simple payment structure for participants who supply power, among other confirmations, organizers said. The key is to "safely and reliably connect with the grid in a way that's reasonably low-cost and reliable and fast," Vehicle-Grid Integration Council Executive Director Zach Woogen said, per Canary. His group represents EV and charging makers and works with utilities across the country. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Boston Globe
14-04-2025
- Automotive
- Boston Globe
Massachusetts launches statewide e-bike incentive program
'We want this to be the decision maker and truly enable access to a transportation option that would not otherwise be available,' said Rachel Ackerman, senior program director at MassCEC. As e-bikes, which average $2,000 to purchase, have soared in popularity, discounts as a strategy to cut back on road congestion and climate-warming emissions from cars. Advertisement Massachusetts is staggering its rollout of 3,000 vouchers over a six-month period. Two tiers of rebates are determined by income, and can reach up to $1,200 in discounts at participating brick-and-mortar retailers. 'We do think it will sell out,' said Elijah Sinclair, program manager at MassCEC. 'We already are seeing a ton of demand.' Initially, about 500 vouchers will be equally distributed Advertisement 'E-bikes are magic carpets. These things flatten hills. They shorten distances. They allow you to arrive at your destination without big exertion,' making them a functional choice for performing errands or traveling to work, said Scott Mullen, transportation demand management director at the Boston-based nonprofit A Better City. 'They help people make connections where transit is lacking.' State lawmakers first Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts, Most trips that people take in the state, take up far less of the road with no tailpipe emissions. 'The gridlock isn't working,' Mullen said. 'There's tremendous value there because, as we know, we're On a smaller scale, e-bike pilot programs have already proven successful in the state. In the spring of 2022, Advertisement Around 1,000 e-bikes have been deployed, and participants have logged over 300,000 miles, which were tracked on individual bikes with monitors and reported weekly. Early findings from the Greater Boston program show about In Worcester, the e-bike pilot was led by MassBike, which did outreach to marginalized populations, including immigrants, people with disabilities, and seniors on fixed income, said Galen Mook, the group's executive director. In the first phase alone, more than 1,200 people applied. There were only 100 e-bikes to give out. Two-year-old Levi was parked beside a row of e-bikes checking them out outside of Radical Adventures. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff 'So I am super excited that the state is going to scale this up ... rural, suburban, ex-urban, really, there's the opportunity for e-bikes to fit into all sorts of lifestyles,' Mook said, adding that the program should yield quick results. 'It's going to be a lot harder to retrofit all of our aging housing, but it's going to be an almost instantaneous return if we get people to think about biking instead of driving.' Emily Galante, an elementary school teacher in Worcester, received her e-bike for free in exchange for participating in the program. Having it has been 'absolutely transformative,' she said. These days, Galante, 39, regularly cycles through the hilly city to work — a 15 or so minute commute by car that now takes her maybe five minutes longer. 'I love showing up and the kids asking me about it,' she said. Advertisement In Boston, the city has been running its 'We really see distribution across all of the neighborhoods,' said Kim Foltz, program manager of Boston Bikes, noting that 510 people redeemed their vouchers during the first cycle. Bike stores that took part in Boston's program also reported an increase in sales. As of January, nearly $785,000 in e-bikes and equipment had been sold to voucher holders, according to the city. The same rang true for the state's pilot initiatives. 'All these sales were sales that they otherwise would not have made ... truly this is an additional stream of income,' Ackerman said. For the new statewide program, the agency has reached out to over 150 retailers, and many have already signed up to accept the vouchers, said Sinclair. That includes Faneuil Hall. A flier posted on the entrance advertises its participation in the city's incentive program. Inside the shop, both floors are lined with shiny, high tech-looking e-bikes. Radical Adventures co-owner Charlie Stark posed for a portrait inside the e-bike store he owns with his father. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Steve Stark, 59, who runs the business with his son, Charlie Stark, 21, said they have been able to serve a new demographic of customers — no longer just the older crowd and typical 'weekend warrior' — and are excited about expanding that reach to residents across Massachusetts. Advertisement 'We think it's fantastic,' he said. 'It gets people outside and moving. It's a great transportation alternative.' In Colorado, the early leader on e-bike rebates, the state has committed to a long-term, 'For a relatively modest expenditure of funds ... we're really able to give people new choices about how they get around,' said Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, who encouraged similar models. But that's far away from becoming reality in Massachusetts. At least for now. Before that next step, Ackerman said they need more data — and more money. 'We want to make sure that every voucher ... truly is making a difference in somebody's life,' she said. Shannon Larson can be reached at
