No new date has been set for the relaunch of the state’s e-bike rebate website, which crashed shortly after it went live last week, leaving a wake of frustration among would-be applicants.
No relaunch date yet for Minnesota’s e-bike rebate application
Overwhelmed website shut down last week shortly after its launch. State officials working on a fix with outside vendors.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
June 12, 2024 at 7:15PM
But the Minnesota Department of Revenue said Wednesday it will provide e-bike enthusiasts at least four days’ notice before the application process reopens.
Meanwhile, representatives from the Revenue Department and Minnesota IT Services say they are working with their external technology providers to make sure the second attempt goes as smoothly as possible.
“Ensuring the site can handle the high demand for e-bike rebates when the application reopens remains the priority for everyone involved,” the department wrote in a news release.
The new state program offers a 50% to 75% discount on the purchase of new e-bikes, up to $1,500, depending on one’s income. E-bikes, or electric bikes, are equipped with rechargeable electric motors to assist users while pedaling — prices tend to fall in the $600 to $2,500 range.
When the state launched the application process for the rebates on June 5, the system quickly was overwhelmed, and fewer than 80 applicants were processed. The website was shut down within 2½ hours.
State officials expect demand to remain strong once the application site relaunches, despite last week’s difficulties. As a result, “we expect the application site to be available for a short period of time,” the news release stated.
Some 10,000 submissions will be accepted to fill the applicant pool, although only 1,300 rebates will be awarded this year on a first-come, first-served basis. The state has set aside $2 million this year for e-bike rebates, and another $2 million in 2025.
The state hired Turnberry Solutions, which has offices in Minneapolis and Pennsylvania, as the application developer for $150,462, and Salesforce, of San Francisco, as the host platform service provider for $3,747.
The governor said it may be 2027 or 2028 by the time the market catches up to demand.
