E-Bikes!
Get there faster, cleaner, cheaper…and in style!
A SABA staff member explains the advantages of e-bikes at the LGBTQI+ Health Fair in Sacramento. (Credit Hillary Livingston)
Trying out an e-bike at a SABA e-bike event at the Asian Resource Center. (Credit Fayzah Mughal)
About E-Bikes
An e-bike is a regular bike with a battery powering a motor to assist with pedaling. E-bikes are fun! They help you get from point A to point B quickly and cost-effectively, and in an environmentally friendly way.
E-bikes are great for going uphill, tackling long commutes, and hauling kids or cargo. They are cheap to ride, safer in traffic, and easy to park. They are easier to ride if you have some physical limitations, and allow riders of all abilities to choose their level of effort.
E-bikes are great for going uphill, tackling long commutes, and hauling kids or cargo. They are cheap to ride, safer in traffic, and easy to park. They are easier to ride if you have some physical limitations, and allow riders of all abilities to choose their level of effort.
Find out more about e-bikes – the different types, what to consider, pricing, and where to buy:
E-Bikes 101 - English PDFE-Bikes 101 - English TextPDF de bicis eléctricas en EspañolSABA's E-Bike Activities
E-Bike Incentive Program
SABA is planning a program that would provide free e-bikes to residents of low-income housing complexes in Sacramento.
Sign up for our e-bike newsletter to stay up to date on when the program launches!
Sign up for our e-bike newsletter to stay up to date on when the program launches!
E-Bike Experience
At various events SABA gives cyclists an opportunity to experience the latest in electric vehicle (EV) technology, talk to EV owners about their experiences, and learn about EV charging. SABA also does this in partnership with SMUD's Ride and Drive program.
E-Bike Education
SABA helps the local community learn about e-bikes and how to ride them. This includes people with little cycling experience or who have difficulty managing a standard bicycle.
Watch some short videos about e-bikes.
Watch some short videos about e-bikes.
E-Bike Lending
In 2026, SABA will continue the effort to get more people on e-bikes through e-bike lending projects in Sacramento.
Community Bike Shop
SABA's Community Bike Shop in Oak Park, Sacramento conducts reasonably priced repairs on both analog and electric bicycles.
E-Bike Legislation
We advocate for beneficial e-bike legislation with the California Bicycle Coalition (CalBike) that promotes policies in the Capital for safe and comfortable biking.
(Photo by Hillary Livingston)
E-Bikes vs. E-Motos (PDF version)
The laws for legal e-bikes compared to illegal e-motos.
| E-Bikes | E-Motos |
Motor Wattage | 750 watt maximum for class 1,2, & 3 | Exceeds 750 watts, often 1,000-6,000 watts |
Cranks and Pedals | All legal e-bikes must have operable cranks and pedals. | Foot pegs = e-moto but many still have operable cranks. |
Top Speed | Max speed: 20mph for class 1 & 2; 28mph for class 3 (16+ years) | More than 28mph often 40-60mph or more. |
Speed Settings | Set by factory, unable to exceed legal speeds. | Users can change max speed settings through factory or 3rd party app or other modification. |
License & Registration | No license, registration, or insurance required. | Must have a driver's license, vehicle registration, and insurance to be street legal. |
Spot the E-Moto
Below are common examples of e-motos. E-motos often have the features below, but so can some legal e-bikes. The features in bold are where they violate the California vehicle code's definition of an e-bike which makes them illegal for road use.
- Looks like a motorcycle
- Has a motorcycle style seat
- No seat height adjustment
- Has 52v or greater battery
- Motor exceeds 750 watts
- Able to exceed 28 mph
- Looks like a motorcycle
- Has a motorcycle style seat
- No seat height adjustment
- Has 52v or greater battery
- Has foot pegs instead of cranks
- Motor exceeds 750 watts
- Able to exceed 28 mph
- Has two motors
- Has 52v or greater battery
- Motor exceeds 750 watts
- Able to exceed 28 mph
- Has a throttle and exceeds 20 mph
E-Bike Incentive Program
California's E-Bike Incentive Program is Dead
California's e-bike incentive program that provided vouchers to low-income CA residents to purchase e-bikes was very popular, but was ended in 2025 due to technical and other issues.
- CARB Quietly Ends the Statewide E-Bike Voucher Program, by Damien Newton, Streets Blog, October 25, 2025: The sun sets on what was once a promising program.
- Letter to the Editor: The Injustice of Moving E-Bike Funds to Clean Cars 4 All, by Damien Newton, Streets Blog, October 31, 2025: Response to the news of the end of the e-bike voucher program.
- CARB Killed the California E-Bike Incentive Program, by SABA staff: SABA remains committed to promoting e-bikes as a more environmentally friendly means of transportation than electric cars.
SABA's E-Bike Incentive Program
Sacramento Area Bike Advocates (SABA) is launching a pilot E-bike Incentive Program in partnership with low-income housing communities in South Sacramento to expand access to clean, reliable transportation.
The program will help residents overcome transportation barriers by providing affordable e-bikes and support resources that make it easier to commute to work, school, grocery stores, and essential services. By investing in sustainable mobility solutions in underserved neighborhoods, SABA aims to improve transportation equity, reduce emissions, and create healthier, more connected communities.
The program will help residents overcome transportation barriers by providing affordable e-bikes and support resources that make it easier to commute to work, school, grocery stores, and essential services. By investing in sustainable mobility solutions in underserved neighborhoods, SABA aims to improve transportation equity, reduce emissions, and create healthier, more connected communities.
E-Bike Newsletters
Resources
E-Bike Videos
E-Bike Experience: SABA's E-Bike 101 Webinar
The city of Elk Grove for requested an e-bike 101 webinar for their residents due to the high level of interest in legal, safe e-bike use. People have lots of questions and SABA want to help them find the e-bike that is right for their use case.
E-Bike 101 Playlist:
More E-Bike Playlists from SABA:
E-Bike Articles
- Lawmakers in Sacramento Move to Regulate E-Bikes, CEB OnLAW Pro, April 15, 2026 - As e-bike use surges, the California Legislature has been moving quickly to regulate the trendy and sometimes controversial devices.
- The world’s 280 million electric bikes and mopeds are cutting demand for oil far more than electric cars, The Conversation, November 16, 2023
- Can Electric Bikes Help Save The Planet? SacTown Magazine, May 5, 2023 - From commuters to joyriders to grandmothers, e-bikes are turning non-cyclists into e-vangelists and creating a greener, less fossil-fuel-filled world.
E-Bike Research
- Exploring Electric Bicycle Safety Performance Data and Policy Options for California, Mineta Transportation Institute, San Jose State University, December 2025: This study was conducted to help policymakers develop effective laws and policy to support the twin goals of expanding electric bicycle use and protecting the safety of electric bicycle riders and other road users. Includes an important chart on page 85 that shows e-bike crashes vs e-scooters and analog bikes and puts the issue in perspective. Legislators concerned about public health should do more to address the infrastructure issues that affect all cyclists. Unfortunately, a lot of bad e-bike bills have been written as a response to the Mineta report and most advocates disagree with a lot of Dr. Agrawal's policy recommendations, which makes her shorter research brief not very useable.
- Portland State University's Transportation Research & Education Center: Under the leadership of TREC's sustainable transportation program manager, John MacArthur, TREC has developed a wealth of research around electric bicycles (e-bikes) to understand the potential for e-bikes to meet people's mobility needs, increase access to active transportation options, and address sustainability goals. Findings from this research have been used in policy discussions at the local, regional, state and federal level.
CalBike E-bike Resources: Information about electric bikes, e-bike regulation, and e-bike safety.
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