ST. PAUL, Minnesota — Applications for rebates on Minnesota’s relaunched e-bikes closed after less than 20 minutes Tuesday due to an oversupply of submissions.
The application portal opened at 11 a.m., and by 11:19 a.m., the Minnesota Department of Revenue announced it had “received enough applications to fill the applicant pool.”
When the application period was initially launched in early June, technical issues were noted. forced officials to take the entire system offlineOfficials said that despite expected demand, the state’s outside vendors could not meet the surge in users seeking the discount.
Less than 80 applications were successfully processed the first time. These requests will be honored.
As of 11:10 a.m., the ministry said more than 3,000 applications had been successfully filed. Final figures have not been released, but officials expected nearly 10,000 applications to have been successfully filed.
Those who failed to submit their application will have another chance next year.
What was the difference in the reopened application process?
Officials said the reopened application process included a virtual waiting room to control the influx of users.
“This is a process similar to that used by major sports teams when they sell a limited number of tickets to their playoff games,” the revenue department said in a news release.
Refund requests were to be granted based on the order in which users entered the waiting room. Once granted, the user had 15 minutes to complete and submit the request.
Anyone in the waiting room after the limit was reached should have received a notification that they could not apply this year.
How much is the discount on electric bikes?
The rebate is 50 to 75 percent of the cost of an eligible e-bike and accessories, up to a maximum of $1,500. Rebates will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The state says total rebates are capped at $2 million per year in 2024 and 2025.
Reimbursement is determined based on the applicant’s income in 2023.
To estimate your refund based on your income, click here.
Who is eligible for the e-bike discount?
To qualify for the rebate, an individual must be at least 15 years old, have lived in Minnesota during the current and previous years, and must not have been claimed as a dependent in 2023.
For more information, including a list of approved retailers, click here.
