The Scottish Government has announced that it will invest more than £825,000 to support 36 innovative e-bike projects across Scotland, with projects for disabled people and rural communities leading the way.

The latest round of the eBike Grant Fund, delivered by Energy Saving Trust, has successfully delivered 216 e-bikes, 56 e-cargo bikes and 34 adapted cycles to 36 projects across the country.

This will enable communities and organisations to take advantage of e-bikes, adapted cycles and e-cargo bikes to meet local needs, whilst improving health, air quality and protecting the climate by encouraging a shift away from car journeys.

The Shapinsay Development Trust has been awarded over £16,000 for 10 new bikes to promote greener travel on the island in Orkney. The bikes will be available for rental by visitors, while residents will have free access for the project duration.

In Edinburgh, Leonard Cheshire Disability has been awarded over £19,000 for two rickshaw adapted cycles to be shared across eight services. This will offer disabled people more opportunities to keep active through accessible cycling.

Across four years of the fund, over £2.8 million has been provided to support over 170 projects across Scotland with 996 e-bikes.

Minister for Active Travel Patrick Harvie said: "I am delighted that our funding for e-bikes is unlocking sustainable travel options for communities across Scotland. E-bikes offer real advantages when it comes to moving cargo, tackling tough hills or longer distances – making it easier to choose cycling instead of car use.

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"We're committed in Scotland to building an Active Nation, where many more people choose to walk, wheel and cycle for everyday journeys. To support this, the Scottish Government has committed to providing record sums of over £320 million a year by the end of 2024/25.

"This funding will help us bring about the transformational shift that we need to help meet our 20% car kilometre reduction target whilst protecting our climate from damaging transport emissions. Many of the successful projects are widening access for disabled people, placing inclusivity at the heart of their approach and I look forward to seeing the success of these schemes in action."

Stuart Robertson Director of Scotland at Leonard Cheshire said: "We are so grateful for the support from the Scottish Government through Energy Saving Trust. The rickshaw adapted bikes will enable more disabled people in Edinburgh, along with their friends and families, to participate in active travel and explore their communities sustainably whilst promoting more inclusive communities.

"In turn, the project will also help to address the health and wellbeing issues experienced by disabled people, which were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, whilst empowering the building of confidence and independence."

Lisa-Marie Muir from the Shapinsay Development Trust said:

"It's great that we're receiving funding for e-bikes from the Scottish Government through Energy Saving Trust. Shapinsay is quite a small island at only 6 miles long, so it's easy to cover the whole island in a day with an electric bike.

"With the island being so small, there are lots of cars getting short runs, which is not only bad for the environment, it's bad for the cars – so we are keen to reduce the number of cars on the road.

"Our bikes let people travel the island  by greener and more efficient means. I personally have used them to get to work a few times now and I can be home within 11 minutes and I get exercise and fresh air along the way!"

Neil Leckie Senior Programme Manager at Energy Saving Trust said: "It is encouraging to see the broad range of successful projects being supported in the 2021/22 round of the eBike Grant Fund. E-bikes offer a range of benefits, including significant fuel cost savings, increased activity levels for the rider, improved local air quality and zero carbon emissions.

"Through the provision of e-bikes, e-cargo bikes, adapted cycles and e-trikes, the fund is helping to make these benefits a reality for a diverse range of groups, including individuals, families, businesses, and urban and rural communities across Scotland.

"Enabling access to zero-carbon travel for everyone, regardless of age, ability or income, is a key part of Scotland's transition to net zero. We look forward to working with the successful organisations and supporting them to achieve the potential of their projects."