B.C. eliminates provincial sales tax on e-bikes
Posted April 21, 2021 8:29 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — If you’re tired of pushing your old Norco up hills, the provincial government has pushed down the cost of e-bikes as of Wednesday by eliminating the provincial sales tax on them.
Erin O’Melinn with HUB Cycling says the growth of e-bikes opens cycling up to people who wouldn’t normally consider themselves fit enough to get on a bike.
“This edition of higher accessibility to e-bikes just brings that perceived barrier even lower so that people can say ‘great if there is a hill that comes up that I don’t feel ready for, I’ve got this electric assist that’s going to help me get up it.'”
"It's going to help a lot of people access cycling as a form of transportation and recreation that may not otherwise be able to, whether it's due to age or mobility challenges or they live in a really hilly place or need to travel long distances," HUB's Erin O'Melinn says.
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Especially now, O’Melinn says cycling has boomed throughout the pandemic.
“Cycling is a great way to get your physical distancing, as well as the physical and mental health benefits, affordability, space efficiency on bicycles versus other kinds of vehicles. So those are all helping to respond to the increased pressures of COVID.”
The exemption means you’ll save roughly $100 to $200 on the purchase of a typical e-bike.
