Minnesota e-bike rebate program fills up in minutes after shaky initial rollout

The application window for the state’s new e-bike rebate program ran out of spots Tuesday morning just minutes after becoming available.

The online application to receive up to a $1,500 e-bike rebate opened at 11 a.m. The application was set to close once it received 10,000 applicants. About 18 minutes after the portal launched, it closed.

“We have received enough submissions to fill the applicant pool for the Minnesota e-Bike Rebate Certificates. The application is now closed,” the Minnesota Department of Revenue wrote in a post on X at 11:19 a.m.

The program, created by the Legislature in 2023, offers people interested in purchasing an e-bike up to $1,500, depending on income, to help buy it. “If you were unable to apply, you will have another opportunity when the application opens again in 2025,” read the Revenue Department’s post.

The rebate website initially went live in June but crashed immediately, offering prospective e-bike buyers an experience not unlike Taylor Swift fans trying to score Era tour tickets. The department apologized for the technical difficulties and moved the application launch back by nearly a month.

A total of 14,428 applications were successfully submitted in the 18-minute period it was open, the Minnesota Department of Revenue and Minnesota IT Services said in a news release Tuesday afternoon. The agencies allowed those who were mid-application to complete their applications, which resulted in the higher submission number.

“While we planned for significant traffic and challenges, the enthusiasm for multimodal transportation is extremely high,” Minnesota IT Services Commissioner Tarek Tomes said in the release. “Today’s virtual waiting room provided more capacity and a better customer experience to support the incredible response to the very limited first come, first served e-bike rebate program.”

Social media posts, a few celebratory and most full of disappointment, quickly rolled in. “Why was this first come, first served?” one post asked. “Imagine if we fully funded a permanent, year round e-bike rebate program in Minnesota,” read another.

At the highest point, more than 61,000 potential applicants were in the waiting room.

The state allocated $2 million for 2024 and again in 2025 to support the program. Discounts will range from 50% to 75% off the cost of the e-bike and qualifying accessories, depending on the applicant’s income. The value of the rebate cannot exceed the price of the e-bike.

Revenue Commissioner Paul Marquart said officials are proud of the work across agencies over the last month to prepare for the high demand for rebates when the application reopened.

“Now that the applicant pool is filled, we are reviewing applications and will start to get rebate certificates out to people within the next 10 days,” Marquart said.

About 1,300 rebate certificates are expected to be awarded.