European Cyclists’ Federation and delivery platform Wolt are shining a light on a range of incentives being used across Europe to encourage more people to cycle, with a focus on cleaner urban mobility and lower-emission delivery systems.
At the centre of the new collab is ECF’s updated Money for Bikes tracker, which now lists more than 300 incentive schemes across cities, regions, and national governments. Some are small rebates. Others are tax breaks or purchase grants. Most are aimed at e-bikes and cargo bikes—the kinds of bikes that are starting to replace vans for short trips in busy cities.
The idea is pretty straightforward: if more people can afford these bikes, more trips can shift off the road and onto two wheels.
“Purchase incentives for bikes are an important tool to make cycling accessible for all,” says Laurianne Krid, Chief Executive Officer of the European Cyclists’ Federation. “They are easy to put in place at all levels, from national to local. Incentives can help create a cycling culture in cities by enabling access to e-bikes for commuters and cargo bikes for families, and they can also support more last-mile deliveries by bike. Our collaboration with Wolt has enabled us to give an updated overview of these incentives that will be useful for a wide range of stakeholders.”
On the delivery side, Wolt sees the same picture from a different angle: couriers trying to move faster and cleaner through cities that are getting more congested and more climate-conscious at the same time. It’s a win-win.
DHL cargo bike for deliveries
“This collaboration with ECF helps us turn our ambition for more e-bike deliveries into practical action,” says Erik Lindham, Head of Global Sustainability Communication at Wolt. “By highlighting where incentives already exist and where cycling policy can make a difference, we can support courier partners, reduce delivery emissions and help make cycling a more accessible choice across Europe.”
What makes this interesting is how normal cycling is becoming in logistics planing. For example, in 2025, almost one in four Wolt deliveries in Europe were already being done by bike or e-bike. It’s a huge improvement that provides real benefits for all involved including those cities and local residents.
The Money for Bikes tracker is a map of what’s working, so cities can borrow ideas from each other instead of starting from scratch. Places such as Mainz, Varaždin, Graz, Valletta and Nantes are already showing different ways incentives can work—whether that’s helping families switch to cargo bikes or supporting delivery riders moving away from vans.
At a higher level, the European Commission has also been clear that cycling is no longer a side issue in transport planning. It’s now tied into climate goals, infrastructure investment, and even urban freight strategy under the European Declaration on Cycling.
Put simply, the direction of travel is clear: more bikes, more e-bikes, more cargo bikes—and more support to make that shift actually happen. And in a lot of cities, a €1,000–€2,000 gap is often what decides whether someone sticks with a car or switches to a bike.