If you can get thousands of dollars in EV subsidies you should be able to get an e-assist bike for free

My jurisdiction does provide some subsidy for ebikes. There is a means test for individuals. And there is a program to subsidize cargo bike purchases for businesses. I've heard some criticisms of the details of the program, but it's not nothing. www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...

you can in california for the clean cars for all program but it requires you to own an old ass car in the first place and is super means tested

You could in Rhode Island for a while but the state “closed the loophole”. The Erika Niedowski bike credit combined with an Ocean State Job Lot deal meant you could get an e-bike for effectively zero, at least for a while.