E-bike buyer’s guide for employers

A new electric bike purchase support guide aims to help employers make it easier for their staff to buy e-bikes through discounted bulk purchases and reducing upfront costs.

The guide was launched on August 22 in Wellington by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) in partnership with the Sustainable Business Network.

“E-bikes are a great example of how the way people get around is changing. They contribute to lower carbon emissions, less congestion and cheaper travel,” operational policy, planning and performance senior manager Vanessa Browne says.

“Employer e-bike purchase support schemes help many more people to buy e-bikes by addressing the barrier of an upfront cost.”

Purchase support schemes work through employers negotiating a discount from an e-bike supplier and then using a financing arrangement to reduce the upfront cost of the purchase.

The guide provides private businesses and organisations with information on employer e-bike purchase support schemes and how to implement a scheme for their employees.

“E-bikes attract a much broader range of people compared to bikes and are a very convenient mode in busy urban centres,” Browne says.

Sustainable Business Network chief executive officer Rachel Brown says an increase has been noticied in the number of businesses interested in supporting their staff to buy e-bike – “which is why we worked with the transport agency to produce this resource”.

“The e-bike guide is absolutely designed to help those businesses.”

Brown says she rides an e-bike everywhere in Auckland.

“I get to meetings on time and no longer turn up shattered by the ride there anymore – and it’s often faster than taking a car! They’re easy to use, incur minimal running costs, lower carbon and they help make our towns and cities safer and less polluted for us all.”