Quick look: The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will host an e-bike and e-motorcycle buyback event Sept. 13 at Angel Stadium, offering gift cards in exchange for unwanted electric vehicles as part of a countywide effort focused on reducing injuries and promoting rider safety.
Orange County residents with unwanted e-bikes, e-motorcycles and other electric vehicles will have an opportunity to turn them in for gift cards next month as part of a new safety initiative led by the Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer’s Office.
The agency will host its first E-Bike and E-Moto Buy Back Program from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The event will offer gift cards ranging from $200 to $1,000 depending on the type of vehicle surrendered.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, the event is part of a broader countywide effort to address injuries involving e-bikes and e-motorcycles, particularly among young riders. The agency reported that injuries associated with the vehicles have increased 430 percent over the past four years across Southern California.
The event will also bring together local law enforcement health care and community partners to provide e-bike safety information and free giveaways.
How the buyback will work
Participants can surrender working or nonworking e-bikes, e-motos, e-scooters, pocket bikes and homemade miniature bikes. Vehicles may be turned in anonymously with no questions asked, and gift cards will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Trade-in values are based on vehicle classification:
- Pocket bikes and homemade miniature bikes — $200 in gift cards
- Class 1 e-bikes — $300
- Class 2 e-bikes — $400
- Class 3 e-bikes — $600
- E-motorcycles — $1,000
The first 75 participants who turn in an eligible vehicle will also receive two tickets to a Los Angeles Angels baseball game. Gift cards for the program are funded through asset forfeiture funds, which come from money seized by law enforcement from criminal enterprises.
Under California law, e-bikes and e-motorcycles are distinguished by factors including motor power, maximum speed and whether a vehicle has operable pedals. Class 3 e-bikes require riders to be at least 16 years old, while all riders under 18 must wear helmets. Vehicles that exceed the state’s specifications for an e-bike may instead be classified as e-motorcycles and are subject to additional registration, licensing and insurance requirements.
The buyback will take place at Angel Stadium, 2000 E. Gene Autry Way in Anaheim, with participants directed to enter from Orangewood Avenue.
For more information about the E-Bike and E-Moto Buy Back Program, including trade-in values and event details, visit the Orange County District Attorney’s Office website at ocdistrictattorney.gov.