The state of Minnesota says its ready to relaunch its e-bike rebate program, nearly one month after the application portal crashed under heavy pressure from consumers.
Residents who want to participate in the program can log on and attempt to enter the rebate application portal starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 2. Rebates will be worth up to $1,500 on a qualifying e-bike, with a discount of 50-75% depending on the buyer's qualifying expenses.
According to the state's website, those with an adjusted gross income of less than $29,001 have the potential for a 75% rebate. State residents with an adjusted gross income of more than $125,000 can claim a 50% rebate if approved.
Total rebates will be limited to $2 million each year in 2024 and 2025.
The application portal crashed on June 5 shortly after opening for business under a crush of users attempted to enter. On a new page, the Minnesota Department of Revenue and Minnesota IT Services said due to the popularity of the program and anticipated demand, applicants may have to sit in a virtual waiting room before being allowed to access the application process.
Once allowed to access the portal, users will have 15 minutes to complete the application process. They will need to provide:
Name and contact information
Date of birth
Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
Tax filing status in the previous calendar year
Adjusted Gross Income in the previous calendar year from line 1 of Minnesota Form M1 or line 11 of Federal Form 1040
Around 10,000 applications will be accepted once the site opens on Tuesday. The state will review those applications in the order in which they are received and respond to each applicant by July 9. Applicants will either be approved, asked to provide additional information, be added to a waitlist or denied participation in the rebate program.
Program administrations expect to award about 1,300 rebates of various amounts.
For more information on the e-bike rebate program or the application process, check out the Department of Revenue website.
