Second Time's The Charm: Minnesota launches E-bike rebate program after demand crashed the site in June

Will the second time will be the charm for Minnesota's new E-bike rebate program? This comes after it's original launch crashed the state revenue department's system due to overwhelming demand.

Store Manager Timothy Mulrooney at Erik's bike shop in St. Paul says it wasn't entirely unexpected.

"I think everybody kind of predicted it estimated 40,000 people overwhelmed the site and I think they kind of anticipated that happening," says Mulrooney. "I'm not exactly sure if they were prepared for it, obviously, to be able to respond to it very quickly because it's kind of put us into an awkward spot where people who are anticipating, maybe having this rebate by the Fourth of July."

The rebate is worth up to 75% of the cost of an E-bike, maxing out at $1,500.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue is relaunching the rebate application site Tuesday morning.

Mulrooney says the state needed to consider how popular E-Bikes are currently.

"It's getting people outside that probably normally wouldn't be, people that are compromised in one way or another," says Mulrooney. "I think anybody can ride a bike 10 or 12 miles an hour. But as soon as the road pitches up or they get into a headwind, that's when it compromises the fun factor. E-bikes getting a lot more people out because it gets them past that."

The application site goes live at 11:00 a.m.