Orange County hosts e-bike and e-moto buyback event

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office held its inaugural E-Bike and E-Moto Buy Back Program at Angel Stadium on Sunday. Officials estimate that nearly 1,000 vehicles were surrendered during the event, filling nine 26-foot U-Haul trucks.

Participants were eligible to receive up to $1,000 in gift cards and tickets to Los Angeles Angels games in exchange for surrendering various electric vehicles, including e-bikes, pocket bikes, e-scooters, mopeds, and electric motorcycles. The turnout was high enough that residents continued to surrender vehicles even after the available gift cards had been exhausted.

The initiative aims to address growing safety concerns regarding electric vehicles in Southern California, following several high-profile accidents involving young riders. One of the first participants was Jesse Hayes, a 20-year-old who surrendered the e-bike involved in a serious accident in October 2024 that required him to be on life support for three months.