Try before you buy: E-bike borrow program driving sales

City of Hobart e-bike library program a success and helping to drive sales Tue 9 Jun 2026 at 2:14pm In short An e-bike library allowing Tasmanians to trial an e-bike for a two-week period has resulted in an increase of sales of the bikes, the City of Hobart says. Council says encouraging people to ride instead of drive has individual and community benefits, and can help "activate street fronts" through cyclists spending money at local cafes and shops. What's next? Hobart City Council says the program is fully funded to continue. A Hobart council e-bike loan program is resulting in people going on to purchase their own bike, a Hobart councillor says. It's been one year since the City of Hobart first introduced a free e-bike library. There are currently 12 bikes in the library, which anyone who lives in the state can borrow free of charge for two weeks. Participants sign up using a digital form where they select their ideal bike model, preferred dates, and then pay a $500 refundable bond. Hobart councillor Ryan Posselt said "some e-bike retailers are saying … 20 per cent of their purchasers for cargo bikes came to the e-bike library to try it before they went on to buy one". Cr Posselt is also the council's Transport Committee Chair. The library first launched in May last year, and since then, it's been used by more than 144 borrowers. The City of Hobart said cycling doesn't just have health benefits, but that cyclists and pedestrians go on to spend money at local shops and cafes. On the back of its booming popularity, the council said the program is fully funded to continue. Bikes doubled initially, after popularity Cr Posselt said the first year of the library exceeded expectations. "Over the last 12 months, these bikes have travelled more than 10,000 kilometres around the city," he said. Cr Posselt said the council is collecting data to find out if it reached its goal. "In other places that have collected slightly more robust data than we have … about 70 to 80 per cent of people who use an e-bike library bike go on to purchase an e-bike,"he said. "That's the target that we're looking for." Mental health, financial benefits After using the e-bike library, Lenah Valley resident Jon Leighton has now purchased his own e-bike. He had previously driven his car or ridden a pushbike to work in the CBD, but said the hills around Hobart made it difficult if he had shopping or work equipment with him. "Of course you can go to the shops and try them for half an hour or so," Mr Leighton said. "But it's not the same as being able to borrow a bike for two weeks and really see how it integrates into my life." Mr Leighton said the library allowed him to purchase an e-bike, knowing it was the right choice. The switch in travel mode has helped alleviate time and cost-associated pressures, such as fuel and parking. He said it's also benefited his mental health. Cr Posselt said encouraging people to cycle over driving is about benefiting both the community and the individual. "The city has limited road space and so getting people out of their cars and onto other forms of transport, such as walking or cycling, is good for everybody," Cr Posselt said. "It activates street fronts and we also know that cyclists and pedestrians tend to spend more money in the local economy at local shops, cafes and bars, than people who travel by car," he said. The program is funded by the Tasmanian government through the Community Climate Change Action Grants Program and delivered with Hobart Bike Hire.