SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Electric bicycles are getting so popular that a new law is adding them to Maine's rebate program through "Efficiency Maine."
The legislation signed by Gov. Janet Mills allows e-bikes to be added to Maine's rebate program.
It's not clear how much of a rebate you could get for using an e-bike for transportation yet, but the hope is to start offering e-bike rebates by the fall.
Thaddeus St. John is the co-owner of the Lincoln & Main Electric Bike Cafe & Winery in South Portland. The store is also an eatery, coffee shop, and offers beer and wine, but they also sell and repairs electric bikes. He said the popularity for electric bikes keep going up in Maine.
"I grew up in rural Maine," he said. "I've seen a lot of people up there check out different e-bikes for hunting and fishing getting into spots, so it's versatile. There are a lot of different reasons to get an e-bikes, and especially from southern Mainers to northern Mainers, anyone can use an e-bike, and you can use it to go into town to do those errands, or you can use it for fun to go into the woods and maybe try to hunt something with an e-bike."
The city of Portland has more than 40 Tandem Mobility Bike Share program bike racks for anyone who wants to rent regular or electric bikes and return after use.
St. John said he has noticed a specific interest in cargo-electric bikes from his customers.
"They are using cargo bikes as a means for groceries, kids. It's very utilitarian," he said. "That's been the biggest surprise, and we've been open about a year and a half, and having the electric cargo bikes be the No. 1 frame seller/bike that we sell, has been pretty cool to see."