Denver’s e-bike rebate program opened again Tuesday with city officials warning potential applicants that all vouchers would be claimed within 10 minutes. 

It took five.

The program closed after accepting 870 applications, according to Chelsea Warren from the City and County of Denver. 

The rebate program has helped residents put more than 5,000 e-bikes on the streets of Denver since it began a year ago, according to The Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency.

Rebates provide $300 off the price of an e-bike. For those who are eligible for the income-qualified rebate, it can be a $1,200 savings. E-cargo bikes can add an extra $200 to both the standard and income-qualified vouchers, according to a news release.

Adaptive e-bike rebates are still open, which can help save up to $1,400. These bikes are usually custom-made for those with disabilities.

Not all of the applications received on Tuesday will translate into redeemed rebates, according to Warren. Recipients have 60 days to use the voucher. 

“We track the redemption rate for this program and use it to decide how many applications we’ll accept each time we open the rebate application,” Warren said in an email.

Corrinne DePersis, 2022 e-bike rebate recipient, said that they sold their Subaru Forester to afford an e-bike.

“I try to use my bike for every trip that is less than 5 miles away from home,” DePersis said. “I received my bike the last week of August and have put 700 miles on it in about 10 weeks.”

E-bike users are, on average, replacing more than 100,000 vehicle miles every week according to the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency. The e-bikes aid in reducing air pollutants as they replace cars, according office officials.

A recent report estimates e-bikes purchased through the rebate program will reduce 2,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, according to the press release.

Grace Rink, Denver’s Chief Climate Officer, said transportation is the second largest source of greenhouse has emissions and the top source of air pollution in the city.

“The popularity of our e-bike rebate program remains strong,” Rink said in a press release. “The data is clear — e-bikes help people drive less and that helps Denver meet its ambitious climate action goals.”

Several changes have been made since the program first launched in April 2022, like shifting the release window to 11 a.m. for residents without internet at home to use Denver Public Library branches and offering the portal in English, Spanish or Vietnamese. 

Rebates, which now occur every other month, will open again on May 30.