Getting around Barcelona on two wheels is, for many, the best way to get a feel for the city’s streets. Feeling the breeze as you head down toward the sea or avoiding morning traffic jams has its charm, but when the hills get steep in the higher neighborhoods, e-bikes become your best ally. The main obstacle to making the switch—aside from Bicing—has, until now, always been the significant initial financial investment required for these vehicles.
To ease that burden, the Barcelona City Council has announced a grant program aimed at registered residents, companies, and self-employed individuals based in the city who are committed to electric bikes. Although the official call for applications will be launched in 2027, the city council has established a retroactive period that will cover a significant portion of the cost of bicycles purchased by the end of this year.
Discounts of up to 40%
The municipal plan is designed to cover up to 40% of the total purchase cost. In practice, this translates to subsidies of up to 400 euros for those who purchase a pedal-assisted city bike, and a maximum of 800 euros if the chosen model is a cargo bike.
As Laia Bonet, Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning and Ecological Transition, explained, city officials are aware that price is often a major barrier to taking the plunge. The goal, they say, is for this vehicle to gain more and more ground as a solution for getting around the city.
Keep Your Receipt: Key Dates and Requirements
Although the formal process won’t begin until the guidelines are approved in 2027, all purchases made on or after December 1, 2026, will already be eligible for reimbursement. The process has been designed to avoid a lot of red tape: all you’ll need to do is submit the application and attach the original receipt from the store.
To support this initiative, a total budget of four million euros has been set aside, which will be released at a rate of one million per year through 2030.
Beyond the economic incentive, promoting cycling requires safe roads. For this reason, the measure is accompanied by a commitment to continue improving and connecting Barcelona’s network of bike lanes. The most notable projects will focus on major thoroughfares such as the Meridiana and the Diagonal. At the same time, the Bicing bike-sharing network will continue to expand, with an increasing number of electric models available at its stations.
