According to The Verge, there is some good news in the latest version of the White House budget agreement: a plan to provide tax breaks of up to $1,500 for buyers of new e-bikes. This is an extremely important proposal for a product that is still struggling for mass adoption. If the agreement passes in its current form, e-bikes will become very affordable for most Americans. That, in turn, could mean major changes to transportation options for millions of people across the country.

据The Verge报道，白宫预算协议的最新版本中有一个好消息：计划为购买新的电动自行车的买家提供高达1500美元的税收减免。对于一个仍在努力争取大规模采用的产品来说，这是一个极为重要的提案。如果该协议以其目前的形式通过，电动自行车对大多数美国人来说将变得非常便宜。反过来，这可能意味着全美各地数百万人的交通选择将发生重大变化。

The legislation would provide Americans with a refundable tax credit worth 30 percent of the purchase price of a new e-bike, capped at $1,500. All three categories of e-bikes are eligible for the tax credit, but bikes with motors over 750 watts are not. The tax credit is fully refundable, which will allow low-income earners to claim it.

该立法将为美国人提供价值为新电动自行车购买价格30%的可退还税收抵免，上限为1500美元。所有三类电动自行车都有资格获得税收抵免，但电机功率超过750瓦的自行车则没有资格。税收抵免可以全额退还，这将使低收入者可以申请。

Note that bikes costing more than $8,000 will not be eligible, and the 30% tax credit will begin to phase out for bikes costing more than $5,000. The program is also means-tested based on tax status, meaning individuals earning $75,000, heads of household earning $112,500, and married couples earning $150,000 receive tax credits for every $1,000 spent. It will start to gradually reduce by 200 US dollars.

需要注意的是，成本超过8000美元的自行车将不符合条件，成本超过5000美元的自行车，30%的税收抵免将开始逐步取消。该计划还根据税收状况进行经济状况调查，这意味着年收入为75000美元的个人，年收入为112500美元的户主，以及年收入为15万美元的已婚夫妇，每花费1000美元，税收抵免就会开始逐步减少200美元。

Electric bikes are much more expensive than regular bikes, typically selling for between $1,000 and $8,000 in the US. But they also have the potential to replace car travel for many people, which could help make real progress in the fight against climate change. A recent study found that if 15 percent of car trips were made using electric bicycles, carbon emissions would be reduced by 12 percent.

电动自行车比普通自行车贵得多，在美国售价通常在1000美元到8000美元之间。但它们也有可能取代很多人的汽车出行，这可能有助于在应对气候变化方面取得真正的进展。最近的一项研究发现，如果15%的汽车出行使用电动自行车，碳排放将减少12%。

There are other benefits for cyclists hidden in the sprawling 1,600-page bill. People who bike to work or use bike-share will be eligible for pretax commuter benefits similar to those who park their car or take public transit to work. Under the proposal, employees would be allowed to receive bicycle benefits of up to 30 percent of their parking benefits, currently equivalent to $81 a month, or less than $1,000 a year, for cycling.

在这个长达1600页的庞大法案中，还隐藏着对骑车人的其他好处。骑自行车上班或使用自行车共享的人将有资格获得税前通勤福利，与那些开车停车或乘坐公共交通上班的人类似。根据该提案，雇员将被允许获得最多为停车福利30%的自行车福利，目前相当于每月81美元，每年不到1000美元，用于骑自行车。