(FOX 9) – So popular during its first offering in 2024 that it crashed the system administering them, requiring a second round – Minnesota’s 2025 e-bike rebate program will begin receiving lottery applications on July 30.

Minnesota e-bike lottery

What we know:

The application window for the 2025 e-bike rebate certificate lottery will begin at 11 a.m. on July 30, and close on Aug. 2, at 2 p.m.

As part of a person’s application, they will need to include proof of their gross income. 

Under the program, 40% of the rebate certificates are reserved for a married taxpayer filing a joint return with a gross income of less than $78,000, or any other filer with an adjusted gross income of less than $41,000.

For a married taxpayer filing a joint return, each spouse can apply separately, and be eligible for their own certificate.

Each year a commissioner will allocate rebate certificates on a lottery basis, totaling up to $2 million annually, under the current terms of the program.

Any remaining funds not doled out by Sept. 30, 2025, would then become available for additional applicants beginning on Oct. 1, 2025.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue’s current estimates suggest that roughly 2,800 rebate certificates will be available for the 2025 program.

After the application period closes, all accepted rebate applications will be entered into a random lottery to award the rebate certificates. Recipients will be notified by email if their application has been selected, stating the percentage and maximum rebate for which they are eligible.

Minnesota’s e-bike rebate system crashes

The backstory:

The first round of e-bike rebates for Minnesotans in 2024 didn’t go as planned.

Applications for the 2024 program were initially set to open on June 5, 2024, but shortly after, the Minnesota Department of Revenue’s website crashed due to overwhelming demand.

At the time, the department said it would work to identify anyone who successfully submitted an application and let them know their application was received. However, officials then backtracked to say that fewer than 80 applications were successfully submitted in the hours before the site shut down.

A second round of applications then opened, with those accepted taking turns in a virtual waiting room before accessing an application.

The department said the system aimed to control the surge of users, similar to what major sports teams or concerts use when selling a limited number of tickets.

However, it was again plagued by system failures, with potential applicants complaining of stalls, and the waiting room being filled in a few minutes.

The new lottery system aims to make the 2025 version much smoother, officials hope.