So, you are determined to buy an electric bike. Still, you come across what primarily deters people from actualizing their purchase, which is the expensive price tag on your favorite one. Many stop and toss the original idea away or look for alternatives like used bikes or cheaper-priced ones. But is buying a cheaper e-bike a good idea? Or can there be justifiable claims on the high prices you see on most products in the market? Let's find out!
Regarding e-bikes, like so many other stuff in the market, you cannot have your cake and eat it. You cannot expect to get a primary quality and lower price simultaneously. Well, at least after you clearly see why some bikes are typically tagged as less expensive than their counterparts and why you should avoid them.
If the size of your budget plays the chief role in decision-making over buying an e-bike, you are better off knowing from the start that a good bike costs you well above $1000 bucks.
However, we advise you to keep on reading. You will find helpful information on how to choose an electric bike. You may change your mind later after learning the benefits of real e-bikes in the long run.
How Much Are Electric Bikes?
How much does an electric bike cost? A straightforward answer to this question is e-bikes range in price from less than $1000 to something like $13000. You may find figures well above this that get close to $50000. Even more than that, some brands offer bikes with whopping numbers running between $80,000 to $150,000! No need to say that such e-bikes look like they've come directly from the middle of a sci-fi movie! You can hit to see some of the pictures of modern e-bikes of the future.
In addition to the marketing and selling strategies of the brand, the brand's original country of registration, demand from the market, fabrics used in the building process of the bikes, and finally, the class of the e-bike, there are a host of other factors involved in the pricing of electric bicycles. This second group of factors we will discuss in the next part is relatively invisible to the final user. It leads, in most cases, to high prices, which an average person finds irrelevant.
All in all, price is just one factor that falls into the what to look for when buying an electric bike category or, better said, your" 10 things to know before buying an e bike" guide.
Take a Look at Some Explanations
For example, consider a bike whose frame is carbon fiber. The e-bike will be extensively lighter. But manufacturers have to spend more to source carbon fiber for making such bikes. Therefore, opting for a cheap electric bike and a fumble-assembled one is out of the question for those who appreciate value and durability and want to enjoy a smooth ride, especially when you can predict a shorter lifespan for the latter type.
Or, take the price of an electric mountain bike which is classified as a high-end type. What a user, probably a professional hiker or nature-lover, would expect to do with this bike is explore the ups and downs in rough terrains. Therefore, the least you anticipate is a bike packed with proper tech that keeps you safe before hitting the road.
An example of safety in all types of e-bikes is their battery. For instance, going for cheap Chinese Li-ion battery cells has proven to be a leading cause of fire incidents, even deaths, for e-bike owners. According to Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, the number of battery cells catching fire in Vancouver city has reached 20 lives. The number shows a 500% increase since 2016.
Add other things like the motor, GPS tracker, and battery lifespan. If you see how to buy an electric bike, you need extensive knowledge!
To sum up this part, the amount of money you pay for an electric bike will range from under $1000 to thousands of dollars. According to the Road Bike Rider's website, the number of manufacturers of electric bikes worldwide can be estimated at more than 300 brands.
Along this price spectrum, you can find hundreds of bikes, each catering to the needs and wants of a particular segment of customers.
But all of these narratives can only partially grasp the mechanism in play for the pricing of an e-bike. Often businesses have to make significant expenditures through their manufacturing and expensive liability insurance policies that push prices higher. Thus, if you come across a cheaper-priced product, there might be other reasons behind it.
What Might Drive Down the Price of an E-bike?
A slashed price equals more savings but less quality. To have a good and worthy bike you can trust, think above the $2000 range. Though an overwhelming price tag, you should know only some of this money belongs to the brand owners. What follows will act as part of an electric bike buying guide. So, read on to find out why a lesser price is a red flag sign in most cases.
- The price you pay is spent on all the labor, raw materials, transportation, and after-sales services that go into making the bike you receive. Thus, everyone agrees that a seller not making enough money translates into a poor final deal. Indeed, one of the differences between brands that pay attention to customer needs and regular brands is customer service 24/7. If you want decent services, paying a higher price for the purchase is just fair.
- Sellers who provide inferior quality goods and poor sales service will not create a good shopping experience for buyers. They may also cut the final price to a large extent only to ensure that sales will follow. But the worse thing is that in the long run, you will have to spend a lot of money on repairs, which may add up way above the original price you were supposed to pay. This point again emphasizes how an acceptable deal is a win-win situation for both sides.
- In some cases, a lower price for a bicycle is product clearance, which means that the seller intends to sell all the available items and make room for new stock. You should know that clearance usually happens because items are unpopular, outdated, or seasonal. So purchasing under such conditions contradicts sharply making a thoughtful purchase and may bear undesired consequences.
- The third reason for a slashed price is that the product is discontinued; it means a product with the exact specifications will no longer be made. This may happen out of the rejection of the product in the target market, possible bugs discovered, or the lack of raw materials to continue with its production. Thus buying a cheaper e-bike without being aware that it is out of production will make you suffer.
- Another reason you see an abnormal price cut is that the supplier company or other brand does not intend to operate electric bicycles anymore. Therefore, it offers them a lower price than usual to sell the remaining products. The problem with this situation is that customer service or support is nonexistent.
- Finally, another possible explanation is that the product was initially overpriced as a marketing pitch strategy. This tactic is to sell a product at a higher than reasonable price at a discount. As a result, to avoid this situation, it is necessary to find the product's original price by comparing it with similar types in the market.
Wrapping Up
Currently, the market for electric bikes looks rosy. They have attracted the attention of many people as one of the simple and efficient transportation options. But their high price often introduces severe impediments on the way to their purchase. Have you recently bought one to deal with daily activities, commute, or adopt a healthier lifestyle?
You may want to go for electric bikes priced lower than the overall market price level, but it is good to know that the low price is a warning sign in most cases. In this article, after examining the reasons for the high cost of electric bikes, we discussed the reasons behind the meager prices of some models.
This can contain a host of reasons:
the product being discontinued
the company is getting out of business
or,
rejection of the product by the audience for its inherent problems.
In all these cases, poor product quality and poor after-sales service are the biggest problems you will face. Hopefully, now you have enough knowledge to know how to select an e-bike and what to look for when buying an e-bike. You can head to ebikebc.com to read more on this issue and have fun looking at some superior e-bike models.
