Shanghai will issue trade-in subsidies for electric bicycles starting today

On October 16, the city of Shanghai officially launched its electric bicycle trade-in subsidy program.

This initiative stems from a directive issued on July 24 by the National Development and Reform Commission along with the Ministry of Finance, which outlined measures to bolster the upgrade of large-scale equipment and encourage consumers to trade in old products for new ones. By the end of August, five government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, rolled out a plan to promote the trade-in program specifically for electric bicycles, marking the first time the country has introduced such a policy.

Under the coordinated leadership of the Shanghai Electric Bicycle Safety Hazard Governance Task Force, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, together with relevant departments, developed the subsidy policy for electric bicycle trade-ins.

According to the new subsidy policy, from October 16, 2024, to June 30, 2025, individuals who trade in their registered electric bicycles (including batteries) and purchase a new compliant electric bicycle with a mandatory national product certification will be eligible for a one-time subsidy of 500 yuan.

The policy encourages participants to choose new electric bicycles manufactured by companies that meet the “Electric Bicycle Industry Norms.” Additionally, lithium-ion battery electric bicycles must comply with the “Safety Technical Specifications for Lithium-ion Batteries Used in Electric Bicycles” (GB43854) standards.

As the program kicks off, 315 retail locations across all 16 districts of Shanghai are participating in the trade-in subsidy. The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce has stated that they will expedite the process for these stores to implement the policy and will continuously update the list of eligible electric bicycle products available for trade-in.