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California is giving it a chance to freely grab thousands of dollars in cash to buy an e-bike after seeing a massive number of applications last year.
Next week, Californians who meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the California E-Bike Incentive project can apply for a voucher of up to $2,000 for E-Bike purchases if they join the waiting list between 5pm and 6pm Tuesday.
In December, the California Air Resources Board announced a similar offer, but with vouchers allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with over 100,000 applications being made for just 1,500 vouchers. After just 45 minutes the application window suddenly closed.
The state has adjusted its approach this time.
What have changed about the application process?
On Tuesday, future applicants will be required to click the “Apply” button on the website and enter the online waiting room between 5pm and 6pm.
According to the program’s website, all individuals entering the waiting room by 6pm will be randomly placed to equalize their chances of accessing the application. Ultimately, according to the website, up to 1,000 applications will be approved for the voucher.
To date, the program’s mailing list has over 150,000 subscribers. [the first window of applications]Lindsay Buckley, communications director for the California Air Resources Board, said:
To better serve applicants, agents have contracted with providers that handle similar high demand incentive programs across the country.
“The waiting room and the randomization process are handled by the provider to ensure that the servers are not affected by the massive amount of traffic,” she said.
Why did the process change?
In the drawings for December, the applicant complained that he could not log in within minutes of opening the application. Some posted screenshots on social media with estimated latency of over an hour. There have been complaints that the application process has frozen or created an error message.
“Overall, there was confusion about the waiting room, queue and the applicant selection process,” Buckley said. “Since then, I have applied lessons I learned from my first window experience to improve the process.”
What are the possibilities for applying for an e-bike voucher?
It is unclear how many Californians are planning to apply, but as long as it applies by the 6pm deadline, everyone will have the same chance, Buckley said.
According to the Air Resources Commission, in the drawings for December, the first cam, the first service, the state distributed 1,500 vouchers and nearly 100,000 applications were submitted.
Recent data from the agency shows that 916 vouchers have been awarded and 698 have been redeemed so far.
“We expect demand to be high and that’s expected to last,” Buckley said.
The program began with $3 million aimed at providing vouchers to buy 1,500 e-bikes.
Who is eligible for the program?
Applicants must be a California resident age 18 or older with an annual household income of less than 300% of federal poverty levels.
This means that a single household must earn less than $45,000 a year, while two families must earn less than $61,320 to qualify.
Times staff writer Andrew Campa contributed to this report.
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