Aid, credit or rental: how to finance an electric bike


Determined to escape traffic jams and the bustle of the metro, do you feel ready to get around by electric bike? Now it remains to be seen how to finance such an investment, because an electrically assisted bicycle is expensive. Aid, long-term rental, credit: we will guide you through the various possible solutions.

It is enough to criss-cross the streets of Paris to realize how much electrically assisted bicycles (VAE) have conquered the people of the Ile-de-France region. If in the rest of France the car remains generally queen, the VAE have become essential to (re) discover your region without having to put your body to the test. However, switching to an electric bike has a cost: from around 1,500 euros for a good bike. It’s a budget.

There are solutions to afford one without breaking your Housing Savings Plan. Above all, it is essential to check all the aid you can claim, in order to lower the bill. If in the end, the cost to be incurred seems too high to you, some establishments offer VAEs for long-term rental. Otherwise, you can finance this purchase partly on credit to stagger the payment. Some organizations like FLOA offer calculators to help you properly calibrate your loan.

The credit to access a better electric bike

A good bike will keep for many years. It is therefore essential to choose it well and to opt for the one that suits you rather than making your decision solely on the price. But spending a month’s salary to buy an electric bike is not within everyone’s reach. And, even if you have taken care to fill in your Livret A, you do not necessarily want to touch it.

Spreading the payment is the best possible alternative. But, when the reseller does not offer payment in several instalments, or when the monthly payments are too high, a credit over 6 months or more can be practical.

A credit simulation for an amount of 1,500 euros. // Source: Floa Bank

To help you properly calibrate your loan, some organizations like FLOA offer a credit calculator on their website. By entering the amount to be borrowed and the duration of the loan, the tool calculates the amount of the monthly payments and indicates all the costs related to the credit (APR*, borrowing rate, insurance). These should be looked at carefully, as they can be relatively high when they relate to consumer credit.

If these indicators are still suitable for you, then you can initiate the request. The agreement or refusal is generally communicated quickly. However, when you have signed your loan contract, you must then count 14 days before obtaining the requested funds, this withdrawal period being irreducible.

Renting: less engaging than buying

Spring is coming and you are already dreaming of cycling to work under a beautiful sun. However, you hesitate to buy a VAE, aware that on rainy days and heat waves, you may regret such an investment.

What could be better than a long-term electric bike rental to test your true attraction for this means of transport? By opting for such an option, you take no risk. If you find that riding a bike is not for you, you can decide at any time to cancel your subscription.

Source: KBO Bike via Unsplash
Cycling in summer is fun, but what about winter? // Source: KBO Bike via Unsplash

In addition, the rental contracts include the repair and maintenance of the bicycle. You therefore know in advance and precisely how much your equipment will actually cost you. Some providers include insurance against theft and breakage as a bonus, as well as premium services such as delivery of the bike to your home and express repair.

Depending on the VAE you choose, as well as the associated services, the price of the subscription can vary from 40 to more than 100 euros per month. The annual cost can therefore reach 1,200 euros, the price of a new mid-range model. And, if you plan to keep it for two years or more, then buying a new top-of-the-range e-bike is more economical than renting it.

This is without taking into account the fact that most service providers are based in Île-de-France and are rare in the rest of France. Long-term rental is therefore ideal mainly for Ile-de-France residents who want to get around by bike on sunny days and take the metro in winter.

Aid to reduce the bill

Before making your choice on a specific model of electric bike, one last thing to consider: public aid. Until December 31, 2023, the most modest households can obtain up to 400 euros of ” Bonus bike “. Its amount depends on your reference tax income per unit.

  // Source: François Xavier Chamoulaud via Unsplash
The Île-de-France region subsidizes the purchase of a VAE up to 50% (aid capped at €500). // Source: François Xavier Chamoulaud via Unsplash

If the latter is less than 6,358 euros, or if you are disabled, then you can receive 400 euros in state aid. This amount is reduced to 300 euros if your tax income is between 6,358 and 14,089 euros and zero beyond that.

In addition, some local authorities have set up their own systems to support the purchase of a VAE, and do not systematically limit them to income conditions.

Finally, if you buy an electric bike to replace a car scheduled for scrapping, you can claim the conversion bonus. This can reach 40% of the price of your VAE within the limit of 3,000 euros.

All these aids are cumulative, but are paid only after transmission of proof of purchase. Thus, even if these subsidies are to be taken into account in your overall budget, you will still have to plan to advance all the funds to acquire your future electric bike, unless you are applying for a loan.

A credit commits you and must be repaid. You must check your repayment capabilities before taking out a loan.

* Global Effective Annual Rate


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This is content created by freelance writers within the Humanoid xp entity. Numerama’s editorial team did not participate in its creation. We are committed to our readers to ensure that this content is interesting, qualitative and corresponds to their interests.



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