Earliest Days of Ebike Law in the USA

For a commercial success of a category of vehicles to occur, a set of appropriate laws and regulations is needed. In the USA, in the 90’s, those laws did not exist.

In the universe of electric powered micro mobility vehicles, invention has routinely outstripped law makers awareness and action. We have self balancing mono wheels, various configurations of three and two wheelers, push trailers, and more inventions every year.

When a vehicle that does not have any rules is brought to market, there is a risk that the vehicle will be inappropriate, dangerous, or simply not understood by the public. And not understood by law enforcement.

Law makers often regard themselves as too busy to learn about the new vehicles, and thus, adaptation of the law to these new ideas is slow.

When electric bicycles were introduced to the USA, starting about 1994, they were generally ignored by law enforcement, and law makers. If asked, the powers that be were likely to apply moped or gasoline assisted bicycle laws to ebikes. And every state seemed to have different laws. Some early ebike makers offered kits to make their bikes conform to moped requirements, others simply ignored the legal environment.

In 1998, most of the existing handful of ebike importers / distributors in the USA agreed to form the Electric Cycle Association with the intention of pooling some money, hiring a lobbyist and initiating some Federal Law for ebikes.

That effort did create a model legislation, which was very different from the models being used in Japan and (due to Yamaha lobbying in EU) EU. Notably, a more powerful motor limit, and a higher speed limit.

A lobbyist was hired, a sponsor was found, a bill written…but nothing more was accomplished, partly due to lack of comprehension by law makers, and partly due to disappearing funds.

The original sponsor left office, and a new sponsor was sought. A Florida Congressman, Cliff Stearns, was found and HR 727 was introduced in early 2001. Again, not much attention was paid.

When the events of 9/11 occurred, the industry as a whole was convinced that Congress would be completely pre-occupied with national security issues. As was the case. HR 727 seemed to be on hold.

Late in 2002, an injection of cash from Wave Crest Laboratories into the lobbying effort caused a vote to occur on HR 727, which became law as Public Law 107-319 December of 2002.

Notable features of this law were that it assigned responsibility for Low Speed Electrically Assisted Bicycles to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and defined them as having a top assisted speed of 20 MPH and a maximum motor power of 750 watts. And requiring a functional pedal or human powered pedal system.

This Federal Law continues to today, but it is modified in used by various state laws, usually following  a popular model created and promoted by People for Bikes.

Today, all but 6 US States have adopted the PFB Model legislation with some minor variations, and the 3 class system is now widely used.

https://peopleforbikes.cdn.prismic.io/peopleforbikes/a8c1bf29-a3a3-4b00-8be4-42c130e4bbd3_E-Bike_Law_Handout_July_2023.pdf

Consistent laws across most of the nation has been a major enabler for the growth of electric bikes. And needed to make the market safer for consumers and distributors.

Work continues on the legal and legislative fronts. Access to trails, fire safety, age limits, vehicle limits and more are being addressed.

Invention continues to occur. And soon we will need laws concerning advanced features and uses electric bikes that no one foresaw.

The use of electric bikes for transportation is what most of the world sees and how most of the world uses them. This is an important role in the USA.

But USA culture regards bicycles, any type, as sport, fitness, and recreation ahead of the utility of transportation. The arrival and functionality of eMTBs was very important to the USA market,  with access to trails a necessary accompaniment.

So today, we have retirees riding electric bikes in their quiet and sometimes gated neighborhoods, younger people using them to get through dense urban traffic to the train or metro or office, food delivery workers making more money and providing better service due to the range and speed of ebikes….and in the words of a notable mountain bike innovator: “Adding 15 years to our mountain biking season of life.”

Edward Benjamin

Chairman, Light Electric Vehicle Association

Senior Managing Director, eCycleElectric Consultants

Fort Myers, FL March 2024

Electric Bikes History and Future, part one

As a bike guy, having starting assembling and repairing bikes at Spoke and Sprocket in Jeffersontown, Kentucky in 1969, and later working in bike shops, owning bike shops, and selling bike shops until 1996, I have loved the mechanical simplicity and sophistication of human powered bicycles all of my life.

I add to my bike guy resume a successful racing career as a Junior in the long forgotten ABLA, a Triathlon participant, a USCF Official, a Race Promoter, and now a recovering bicycle retailer.

A gold trim on my credentials was being consistently in the Trek Top 100, and the Schwinn Presidents Club as well as The Best of SW Florida. I wrote a book on being a bicycle retailer (not a very good one), and for years all was great.

My last retail store was Benjamin Cyclery, a 4 store chain in SW Florida, which the family divested in 1995-96 after losing two family members / store managers to accident and cancer.

The idea of electric bicycles had fascinated me since I first heard of it in 1994. An elderly customer in our Naples store was bringing the earliest generation of tire scrubbers, Japanese PAS bikes, and more to us for adjustment and repair. Dr. Frank Jamerson PhD was an early observer, activist and writer on the electric bicycles emerging in Europe. He was to become my mentor and we would write Electric Bikes World Wide together for two decades.

In the 90’s, the human / electric hybrid seemed like a brilliant idea to me. As there were no jobs for ex-bike shop owners in a market where the existing shops still regarded me as an enemy competitor, I needed a new niche and thought electric bikes, which I knew were just starting in Asia.

An article in Japan Cycle Press by Alan Parker inspired me to think this was my future, and a part of the future of the Human Race.

An invitation from Hannes Neupert (Extra Energy ViG) to deliver a paper by Jamerson at a EU trade show, and a push from Dr. Jamerson to travel to Shanghai to report to him on ebike usage in China caused a Kentucky boy to get a passport and become an international traveler.

In those days, if an ebike worked, it was attention getting. There were many participants in the development and attempted commercialization of the electric bicycle idea. But the bikes were, at best, clunky and needed constant expert attention.

Regulations were mostly non-existent, with the exception of the Japan PAS system, which Yamaha (patent holder on that system) was lobbying other countries to adopt.

There were some famous players getting involved. Lee Iacocca of Ford and Chrysler fame was one who believed in and articulated a future similar to the one I saw. I regret that he never forgave me for contradicting him about his first year sales expectations in a Time Magazine interview. Dr. Currie was another.

Sales, world wide, were small. Japanese people were buying a few hundred thousand PAS bikes starting in 1994. China adopted laws to “encourage” electric bikes and “discourage” ICE two wheelers starting in 1996. But my first trip to China, in 1997, was a disappointment in that I found only two electric bikes on the streets of Shanghai, one without a battery.

That “encouragement” by China central government was to manifest itself in many important ways. Universities started to focus on the engineering needed. Battery development, motor development, controller development accelerated. And the huge domestic market that was promised (and would come to pass) not only caused a rapid pace of progress, but also created low costs due to economies of scale for key components. That created inexpensive ebikes for the west as well.

It helped that China was the land of the bicycle, where an estimated 650 million people used bicycles every day for transportation. It also helped that so many moped and gasoline assisted bicycle factories had to make a quick conversion to electric.

At that time, only a few people thought or imagined that we would see the present day situation. In 2024, only 28 years later, the fleet of electric bikes world wide in in excess of 350 million units. Adding in electric mini scooters and light electric motorcycles, mopeds, and motor scooters…not to mention handicap chairs…humans are using an astounding number of small electric vehicles.

And those vehicles are making money for their builders, developers, and distributors. Along with those who service them and educate about them.

Yet we are only in the early days. I think of today as being similar to the 1920’s for automobiles. The people of the 1920s were learning about, desiring, and buying cars…but would have had little idea of what was to come. They could not have imagined the sophistication, reliability and features of a new Lexus.

Today’s electric bikes and micro-mobiity vehicles work. Training exists for technicians (www.LEVAssociation.com), and millions are in use in most Asian and Western markets. We can believe that there will be similar numbers in use in every market soon.

Appropriate regulations exist for these vehicles in most markets now. In the USA this happened from the work of the Electric Cycle Association, and People for Bikes. (More on those in a future article). In Europe, LEVA-EU, Extra Energy,  and others worked hard to create appropriate rules.

With vehicles that work, out of the box, and are reliable, appropriate laws…attention can change to advanced features. Here is a quick tour:

• Accident prevention by way of vehicle to vehicle communication.

• Crash response (calling an ambulance automatically) in the event of an injury accident.

• Updates to the owner, and the builder, on vehicle condition and performance.

• Automatic updates to software in the vehicle / motor / bus controller.

• Batteries that are very unlikely to fail or catch fire due to testing and handling improvements.

• Theft deterrence, due to GPS and internet connections.

Equally important, but still very much under the radar of most media and most in our industry:

• Automated factories using printed parts that move production of our product out of the big factory across the sea, and into home towns. Creating MOQs of dozens of units instead of thousands. Reducing shipping costs, and creating highly targeted product.

• Pressure on expanding the use of such small vehicles caused by climbing energy prices, especially oil pushing up the cost of ICE vehicle operation and increasing shipping costs.

• Humans are moving into denser and denser cities. This will increase and such cities create problems with limited roadways, parking, and cost. But also make short range trips more common and ideal for bicycles and electric bicycles.

We are in the midst of a bright future.

Edward Benjamin, Fort Myers, FL, Feb. 2024

State of the Light Electric Vehicle Industry 2023

By Ed Benjamin

November 9th, 2023

As 2023 comes to a close, it’s worth reflecting on the state of our industry. As founder of the Light Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA) in 2006 and eCycle Electric in 1997, I find it more necessary this year than ever to first clarify who I mean by “our industry”. The lines between light electric vehicles (LEVs), a fast-growing part of the larger Micromobility sector, and other EVs are blurry. So allow me to clarify. This address is meant for… 

-        Bicycle companies that manufacture pedal-assist or throttle-controlled electric bikes (2 or 3 wheeled), and their many suppliers. These products typically max out 28 mph (45 km/hr). 

-        Stand-up scooter manufacturers, suppliers, and operators who sell or rent these devices.

-        New mobility entrants making battery-powered 2 and 3-wheelers that don’t fall neatly into the above: sometimes they have just one wheel, sometimes they’re completely covered, some are faster or slower.

The over-arching similarity between these vehicles, besides all being battery powered, is what they’re not: 

-        They’re not surrounded by a heavy steel shell (like cars). 

-        They’re not sold only by licensed motor vehicle dealers

-        They don’t require a license to operate.   

Now onto the address. 

This has been a year characterized by crisis. I don’t mean this in the typical negative connotation of the English word, but in the Chinese sense. In Chinese, the word for “Crisis” is made up of two characters. The first character 危represents “Danger”, and the second character 机means “opportunity”. This address sums up the most pressing dangers we face as an industry (Dark Clouds), along with some of the most promising opportunities (Green Shoots). It is also focused on the U.S. market, though our industry is more international now than ever. 

The Dark Clouds:

Burning Batteries – NYC is the proverbial “tip of the spear” for regulatory action to prevent LEV battery fires, but is it also the canary in the coalmine for the rest of the country? NYC has unique characteristics that differ from most other hot eBike markets in the US. In particular, high # of deliveristas (60-100k), high Km-travelled per day (>100 miles/day) resulting in high battery swap & charge rates (3-5X per day), wide use of low-quality  batteries, and the unfortunate Frankenstein-ing of batteries & chargers through an underground gray market of service & charge shops. The worst-case impact this can have for our industry is out-right bans on LEV parking inside residential buildings, which has already started in NYC. Whether our industry can contain the NYC issue before building parking bans spread to other high-urban density markets like Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, and Chicago where food delivery by bike is high remains to be seen.  

Inventory: in 2022, initial signs of slowing sales and growing inventory gave the industry its first warning that the COVID sales boom was temporary and most likely over. By early 2023, both of those issues exacerbated enough to prompt mass order cancellations, layoffs amongst OEMs & suppliers, and bankruptcies amongst the less financially stable players. This is a normal adjustment of an industry that has had nearly 400 “brands” in recent years. A sustainable number of brands is probably similar to the number of established bicycle brands. 

The Teens & Tweens: on the other side of the country, a trip to one of many West Coast beach-side high-school and middle-school will make it clear: teens and in many cases pre-teens are falling in love with eBikes. Most people would call this a Green Shoot for the industry and sustainable transportation in general, but I’m concerned it’ll turn into a Dark Cloud if we’re not more proactive on regulation and education. These riders are more exposed than adults to injury and fatality being that most are “newbies” unfamiliar with safe cycling practices, product quality in their typical price range is low, and high speeds of these devices, in some cases exceeding the Class 3 28 mph limit. Most in our industry have been closely watching the RadPower vs. INSERT lawsuit play out – and it’s likely that more cases like this will come.  

But enough negativity. There are plenty of reasons for our industry to be very optimistic about the next decade. 

The Green Shoots:

1.      New Riders – data from PeopleforBikes indicate that cycling rates amongst the overall population are rising. eBike use is a key part of that uptick in cyclists. This doesn’t even consider all the new eScooter-ists, eMoped-ists, and other Micromobility-ists that are choosing light electric vehicles over cars for one reason or another. On a recent tour of UC-Berkeley, I was amazed to see stand-up eScooter users outnumbering cyclists and perhaps even pedestrians. 

2.      Falling Battery Costs – Li-ion battery prices are expected to drop 40% over the next 3 years as economies of scale and technology learning effects kick into high gear. The overall consumer is winning in this scenario, as long as battery safety improves alongside the price decreases. 

3.      eBike Incentives – there are now 121 eBike purchase incentive schemes throughout the nation. Thanks to the nicely curated list by RideReview, we can see location, support level, and unique characteristics of each program. As more cities and states catch on to the extremely high bang-for-buck these programs have in terms of meeting climate, congestion, and public health goals, as quantified in the Rocky Mountain Institute’s eBike Calculator, we could see a hundred more in 2024.  

Finally, some recommendations for a more perfect industry.

1.      Come together. Tribalism within our industry is alive and well. It’s easy for traditional bike companies, stand-up eScooter companies, and sit-down pedal-less eMoped companies to see each other as competitors. The micromobility industry should focus on what each “tribe” has in common and lobby to policymakers in a more unified way. I think safer streets (perhaps one day re-branded as “LEV-lanes”) and additional incentives for low-carbon light electric transportation is something we can all agree on.  

2.      Get proactive and self-regulate: We love eBike purchase incentives, and sometimes we love a laissez-faire government, but in the face of slow safety standard reformation from the CPSC and other agencies, we should be demanding purchase incentives come with a few strings attached: for an electric device to qualify for an incentive, it must show that its battery and charger conform at least to UL 2271. To be even more responsible as an industry, let’s also require that end-of-life battery recycling is well thought out and part of the upfront cost (the way we sell flooded lead-acid car batteries today). At some point, “recommended” safety standards need to be flipped to “mandatory” to ensure a level playing field for the entire industry. 

3.      Learn from our brothers & sisters: The Western Europeans and Chinese have a 5-20 yr head start on the US in terms of micromobility adoption. While there are important economic, historical, and cultural differences between each region, let’s apply the best of what they’ve done overseas and also learn from their mistakes. For example (Insert), China’s had 70 e-bike related Li-ion battery fires and 400 deaths since 2009 (source, Epoch Time). Each one tragic, but in terms of total vehicle fleet of 300M, the incident rate is small. The EU has similarly low rates of battery fires and resulting deaths per user. What practices from China and Europe can we emulate here in the US?

4.      Standardization: as we transition from the early, highly volatile days of market development to a slower and steadier market development, it may be time to develop standards for the most critical components in LEV products: battery and charger. Let’s consider taking the best charging and battery design practices from the industry, and developing a design standard and charging interface standard. This has brought convenience, cost, and safety benefits to smart phone users - the same is possible for our industry. It may even offset the added cost of stricter safety standards mentioned above. More specifically, it’s time we had a common charging plug interface, a mandatory fail-safe charger shut-off mechanism, and open-source communications protocol between charger and battery BMS. While there may be short term winners and losers amongst battery & charger suppliers, the consumer and public will be better off in the long run. It may also open up new business innovation in the public charging & swapping space. Thanks to standards, every time we fill up a car with gasoline we no longer think twice about the quality of the fuel, the dispenser we’re holding, or the gas tank exploding randomly. It’s time to bring a similar level of peace of mind to Micromobility.

We continue to face a bright future. Even brighter as our industry grows and matures. These challenges are simply the bumps along the way. 

Edward Benjamin 

Fort Myers, FL 

November 9, 2023

AVERE Takes up Advocacy For Light Electric Vehicles in EU in Alliance With LEVA

[Press Release]

Brussels, July 22 2014 - AVERE, the European Association for Battery, Hybrid and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles has launched a Light Electric Vehicle Task Force. This new department within the organization will defend and promote the interests of all companies and organizations that are working in the field of electric L-category vehicles. It will operate in conjunction with LEVA.

AVERE was founded in 1978 and has developed into a European network of different types of members such as national associations, public bodies, research & development entities, vehicle and equipment manufacturers, electricity utilities and users. AVERE’s main objective is to promote the use of electric vehicles, in order to achieve greener mobility for cities and countries. The AVERE network extends over 18 European countries and over 1000 individual members. 

Broader perspective

The AVERE Bureau, which took office early this year under the presidency of Belgian Joeri de Ridder, has decided to expand its activities. In the past, AVERE has been mainly focussing on electric cars. The new Bureau wishes to broaden the organization’s perspective to encompass electric mobility in a broad sense, rather than to focus on electric vehicles.

The Light Electric Vehicle Task Force (LEV-TF) is a direct result of this expansion. Also, with the Task Force, AVERE wants to fill the gap caused by the disappearance of ETRA. The European trade association for 2Wheel dealers was generally known as the most important advocate for LEVs at European level. Since ETRA’s dissolution at the end of last year, no one has been consistently following up on the European issues, which are of direct concern to the LEV-sector.

The LEV-TF is complementary to the existing Avere Industrial Task Force (AITF), which focuses on electric passenger cars and trucks. The two Task Forces will be looking for possible synergies.

All electric L-category vehicles

The LEV-TF will deal with all electric L-category vehicles. This category includes many different types of electric vehicles, ranging from electric bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles, to electric tricycles, quads and quadricycles. New types of LEV’s, which have no place yet in current regulations, will also be taken into consideration.

One of core activities of the new LEV-TF is advocacy. The department will for instance at very short notice request for a seat in the European Commission’s Working Group “motorcycles”, in which the European technical L-category vehicle regulations are being prepared. Furthermore, the Task Force will defend and promote the LEV-sector in all other relevant dossiers, such as CEN-standardisation, battery regulations, recycling legislation, … but also in more general dossiers such as EU transport policy, environmental policy or fiscal policy.

AVERE-LEVA alliance

The companies and organizations that sign up for the Task Force will set the advocacy priorities. Participation in the LEV-TF is open to anybody from the LEV-world who has an interest in the European market. In this framework, research institutes are also very welcome. A number of academic institutions, headed by the Belgian VUB, were instrumental in AVERE’s foundation. The relationship with the scientific world has been an important factor ever since.

The new AVERE department offers participants an extensive service package and this in cooperation with USA based Light Electric Vehicle Payment of one contribution, depending on the number of staff in the company or organization, allows for both participation in the AVERE LEV-TF and LEVA-membership. Beneficiaries enjoy a service package that includes joint advocacy as well as individual information/assistance services association LEVA.

AVERE and LEVA are convinced that their cooperation will considerably strengthen the LEV-sector. Both associations have impressive networks, which linked together, are a crucial factor for effective advocacy. It will allow the two organisations to advocate light electric mobility as credible and reliable sectorial representatives, whereas LEV-companies and organisations will benefit directly from the services offered by AVERE LEV-TF and LEVA.

““The Light Electric Vehicle Association has always been a worldwide organization and we have seen considerable growth since our inception in 2008. This partnership will not only allow us to grow further in the EU, but we anticipate growth for the entire LEV industry, which has been our goal from the very beginning.””

— Ed Benjamin, Chairman of LEVA

Services to LEV sector

The AVERE LEV-TF intends not only to provide advocacy and individual services to participating companies and organizations, it also wants to play a liaison role between the sector and the various European subsidy programs. The department envisages setting up a system to inform the sector on funding opportunities for light electromobility in a consistent way. At the same time, the department will consider joining consortia as a partner for projects in the field of LEVs. Avere LEV-TF is currently investigating several invitations under the Horizon 2020 Green Vehicles call. As an organization, AVERE is already part of the European Electromobility Observatory. This project has been set up by the European Commission with a view to mapping electro-mobility in the European Union. To date, LEVs were not fully included in the Observatory. The AVERE LEV-TF will fill this gap.

Need for LEV representative

The AVERE LEV-TF will be managed by Annick Roetynck, former Secretary General of ETRA. In the 18 years she has worked for ETRA, she has acquired a thorough knowledge of EU institutions and policies. At the same time, she developed a vast network both in the LEV-world and in the EU political world. She is looking forward to this new challenge.

““My work for ETRA has convinced me that the potential for light electric vehicles in European mobility is infinite. Only, the sector did not make itself heard enough in the European institutions. As a result, LEVs were very often overlooked, neglected ... With ETRA, we started to bring about change. I am thrilled that AVERE offers me the opportunity to continue this work.””

— Annick Roetynck, AVERE LEV-TF Manager

According to AVERE President Joeri de Ridder, there is a clear need for an organization to defend and promote the interests of the light electric vehicle business in the EU. 

““Until recently, ETRA assumed this role but today, no association is advocating LEVs at European level. The European Commission’s White Paper on Transport prescribes halving the use of ‘conventionally fuelled’ cars in urban transport by 2030 and phasing them out completely in cities by 2050. This change over should include LEVs, to a much larger extent than today. This is exactly what we will aim to achieve with the AVERE LEV-TF.””

— Joeri de Ridder, AVERE President

AVERE LEV-TF at Eurobike

AVERE LEV-TF will share booth number FW-OG103, on the first floor of Entrance West. Visitors who wish to meet Annick Roetynck to discuss the AVERE LEV-TF can contact her before the show for an appointment: email a.roetynck@pandora.be, tel. +32 9 233 60 05. AVERE LEV-TF and LEVA will host a networking dinner on Thursday (25/09) evening in the Zeppelin Restaurant.

About AVERE

Founded in 1978, AVERE is a European network comprised of members including vehicle and equipment manufacturers, NGO’s, associations, interest groups, public bodies, research & development entities, electricity utilities, users. Its main objective is to promote the use of battery, hybrid and fuel cell electric vehicles, for individual and fleet use, in order to achieve greener mobility for cities and countries. The AVERE network extends over 18 European countries and over 1000 individual members. 

For further details on AVERE, please contact:
AVERE President Joeri de Ridder, email chair@asbe.be, tel. +32 477 63 39 23
Website: www.avere.org 
Facebook: www.fb.com/AVEREEU
Twitter: @AVERE_EU

About LEVA

The Light Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA) represents the strategic interests of light electric vehicle retailers, dealers, distributors, manufacturers and suppliers to promote the development, sale and use of LEVs worldwide. Members receive support and educational resources to expand their businesses while initiating efforts to influence and adopt legislation, regulations, performance standards, promotion and general best practices in the light electric vehicle industry.

For more information, visit:
Website: www.levassociation.com 
Facebook: www.fb.com/LEVAssoc
Twitter: @LEVAssoc 

The 2013 and 2014 USA Electric Bike Market Numbers Explained

With a population of more than 316 Million people, buying about 15 million normal bicycles most years, and a demographic that is shifting to an older, but active generation of baby boomers…the USA seems a natural market for electric powered two wheelers.  

The European market, about 742 million people, buying about 20 million bicycles most years, is both larger, and buys fewer bicycles per capita than the USA.

However, much of Europe regards a bicycle of any type as transportation. (As well as for sports, fitness, and recreation.) This is a cultural norm and in such cultures ebike markets grow more quickly.

The USA is almost universal in regarding a bicycle as a device for sport, fitness, and recreation.  For the USA, transportation is a car.

Transportation use of bicycles in the USA occurs in two general forms:

1. Low cost transport for people who cannot afford a car (or cannot drive due to a DUI conviction).
2. Transport in places where parking, and traffic congestion are problems – large cities like Boston, New York, San Francisco, etc.

Electric bicycles are transportation devices for almost all buyers. Yes, there are new models that may be contenders to replace or supplement mountain bikes, and there is fun and recreation in riding about the gated community in Florida, or in the technical gadgetry of a new ebike. But for most ebike buyers, transportation is the primary intended use.

In the USA, transportation is usually an automobile. And cheap, used, cars are widely available. Adding to this cultural preference for autos is the resistance of the ordinary bicycle dealer who often has a background as an athlete, and regards electric bikes as “cheating”. As well as the dealer being aware that they are not well equipped to explain, support, and service such bikes. (The Light Electric Vehicle Association has an ongoing program to train electric bike technicians in the USA. www.LEVAssociation.com)

The result has been that the rate of growth of the USA electric bike market has disappointed many people.

The total sale of ebikes in the USA has been difficult to calculate.  There has not been a uniform way to describe imports of ebikes in the US Customs records. There is no HS number assigned to electric bicycles, and so importers often choose between various 8700 series numbers in the “other” category, or declare the bikes as parts, or toys. Written descriptions vary widely: Ebike, electric bicycle, low speed electric assisted bicycle, pedelec, electric bicycle parts, and on and on. 

eCycleElectric (www.eCycleElectric.com) and Electric Bicycles World Wide Reports, (www.EBWR.com) have worked on estimating the USA ebike market for about 19 years.

Methods used by eCE and EBWR have varied. Attempts to organize self-reporting by the industry were unsuccessful. And searches of customs records turned out to be a learning process as detective work uncovered a myriad of ways to be confused or misdirected about electric bike imports. Anecdotal reports were often inflated or deflated.

For the last three years, eCE has subscribed to Import Genius, a service that provides access to US Customs databases. We quickly learned that searches confined to HS numbers or to a few descriptions led to only part of the imports.

So we developed a list of all known brands, and known major suppliers to USA brands. And all the search terms that we could find that would yield results. We checked on consignee addresses, and tried to detect logistics companies and trading companies that were involved. We were surprised by the results, as it seems the USA buys more electric bikes than was generally believed by the industry.

Last year, we announced that the USA ebike market had roughly doubled to approximately 158,000 units imported in a 12-month period. We then endured a great deal of criticism from a variety of sources that stated we must be wrong. And observed a number of conflicting reports about the USA market size.

This is easy to understand – a casual search of import records would probably give the researcher the idea that only 60-80,000 units were imported during 2013. And this is often the result that we hear promoted.  And for many of the USA electric bike brands, who have sales in the dozens to hundreds of units, it is hard to believe that so many ebikes are entering the USA.

So we checked our work. Carefully. And we found even more ebikes were imported than our original tally. We bought more services from Import Genius, looked again and compared, and then found even more bikes!

But we were aware that there was plenty of room for us to be in error since classification of the shipments was not exact, and under many descriptors.

So here is a detailed look at what we found:

Searching under electric bike, electric bicycle, electric bikes, electric bicycles, ebike, e-bikes we found: 136,943. es, we did adjust for duplications, which do exist.

Then there are the gray items with ambivalent descriptors. They could be toys, they could be scooters, but many of them are probably electric bikes. They came from OEMs that build ebikes, and the unit numbers compared to the weight of the shipment seem a lot like ebikes.

Next we took a look at the parts purchases of companies that assemble ebikes in the USA, from parts mostly imported from China. That group includes some companies that sell complete bikes, and some companies that sell DIY kits or just sell parts.

So we took the total weight of those parts and divided by 60 lbs, as we thought that 60 lbs of ebike parts was pretty close to one ebike, one way or another.

Total for vague descriptions and parts: 94,546
Raw total for USA market in 2013: 231,849

Now we know that we have accidentally included some units that are not ebikes. And we get accused of being too optimistic. And we want to be conservative. So we used an adjustment factor: 25% reduction in the total to adjust for our possible mistakes.  That gives us an adjusted total of 173, 886 units of ebikes imported into the USA or parts that were assembled into ebikes in 2013. (Yes, more than our original claim.)

We can be sure that not all of these sold through at retail. But since we are not hearing screams of anguish from the industry and we are not hearing about closeout sales to reduce inventory – it appears that there are no huge carry over inventories straining the system in the USA.

So what about 2014?

We are in the midst of studying 2014. But we have found more than 60,000 units imported so far. That may be off pace for a repeat of last year, but maybe not. We will release our results at the end of the year.

So, if the USA bought 173,886 electric bikes in 2013, where does that put us in comparison to other ebike markets?

We are in the top 10 nations, I think. And we are a very big country with a lot more room for the market to grow than any European nation, or Japan. Many factors are urging Americans towards more sustainable transportation, and ebikes are a vital part of our future – no matter how slowly they may be growing.

I foresee a day when the USA will be the third largest national market.  And it is not far off.

European TWIN project gets the go-ahead

[Press Release]

Nieuwegein, 16 June 2014 - The Dutch agency responsible for projects subsidized under the Leonardo da Vinci program has definitely approved the Twowheel Innovation Network (TWIN) project. TWIN is a Transfer of Innovation project (TOI) aimed at developing European training on electric bicycles for dealers and their mechanics.

Partnership

Following the go-ahead, the partners can now start up the real work. TWIN is a direct result of the completed E-Bike partnership project. The E-Bike partnership project finished in 2013 and yielded a completed competence profile in the field of electric bicycles for dealers and mechanics. In the new TWIN project, the partners will develop actual courses on the basis of this profile. The TWIN partners are the national training institutes Innovam (NL), CELF (DK) and Syntra West (B), the Dutch foundation and knowledge centre Pro Work and former ETRA Secretary General Annick Roetynck. The training institutes will be mainly responsible for the actual development of the training. Pro Work will supply logistical support, while Annick Roetynck will take care of communication and dissemination.

E-Bike assessment tool and training package

In a first phase, the partners will work on a tool that will allow any training institute in Europe to assess the existing knowledge on electric bicycles of dealers and mechanics. That assessment will enable the training institute to detect any gaps in their knowledge and offer, with the support of a training package, a tailor-made training to bridge those gaps. Towards the end of the project end 2015, a workshop for all European training institutes will be organised with a view to demonstrating the assessment tool and presenting the electric bicycle courses that should be developed by then.

European certification system

The TWIN partners consider this project as only one next step in a long-term process. Their final objective is to create a European Twowheel Academy, a platform that develops European harmonised training for all the segments in the two-wheel business. This should considerably facilitate and encourage the development of two-wheel courses in those member states where there is no training available yet, where training is incomplete or needs updating. It will allow training institutes to easily implement existing knowledge and best practice, instead of having to “reinvent the wheel”. As for the dealers and their mechanics, the introduction or improvement of training will enhance their competences and will allow them to market their professionalism. The system will be officialised and strengthened by means of a European certification system. Finally, it will also be embedded in the European Qualification Framework. This Framework provides for a harmonised qualification structure so that a two-wheel mechanic diploma obtained in, say Croatia, is equal to the same diploma obtained in Sweden. The concept of the European Twowheel Academy and the certification system will be laid out in the TOI project.

Database

The consortium is currently developing a database of all training institutes in the European Union, which either already provide for electric bicycle training or have an interest in offering such training in the future. Also, the consortium is making an inventory of all existing competence profiles for such training. All relevant information on the above can be sent to Annick Roetynck (a.roetynck@pandora.be - +32 9 233 60 05).

Coordination

Innovam carries out the coordination of the TWIN project. Please contact Ramon Salceda (r.salceda@innovam.nl - +31 30 60 87 952)  for any further details you may need on TWIN.

What Happened, What Comes Next: A Recap of Important Events from the 2013 Electric Bike Industry

 Senior Managing Director of eCE and LEVA Chairman, Ed Benjamin at Interbike 2013 in Las Vegas.

The Electric Bike Industry enjoyed a successful year in 2013. Here is recap of what happened in some of the most important markets.

Electric bikes sales in China grew, but slowly. There is now an estimated 170 million electric bikes in use in China and the replacement of aging electric bikes is around 25 million units a year. This is in addition to the replacement of lead acid batteries in the fleet that is a stunning 300 million sets of 12V SVRLAs per year. Today, almost all lead acid batteries are recycled and are made in safer factories due to crackdowns from the Chinese Government.

Europeans showed how much they love electric bikes in 2013. The German market is now bigger than the Dutch market, electric bikes are selling well in nearly every EU member state with great, but not grand sales coming from France, The UK, Switzerland, Spain and Austria. According to our records there are 264 brands of electric bikes offered in the EU at this time. In addition, Bosch has made an impressive successful move into the EU market and is the most popular and demanded drive system supplier.

Although still small, the USA electric bike market doubled from 2012 to 2013 and is now about as big as Holland’s market. Over the last two years many new importers and product developers entered the US market but the top three electric bike brands in the USA remain to be Currie Tech, Prodecotech and Pedegeo. In 2013, Currie Tech took majority market share sales in the US, Prodecotech opened a 60,000 sq ft factory in Florida where they operate a full electric bike assembly line and Pedego has had great success by developing strong dealer networks with Pedego-specific retail shops. Overall, there are about 134 brands of electric bikes offered by 94 companies in the USA who sell through Amazon, mass merchants, and 900+ specialty retail stores.

Other markets in the electric bike industry seem to be steadily growing. We speculate that India exceeds over 500,000 unit sales. Sales in Japan seem to be holding steady, as they have for some years, nearing 400,000 unit sales. As for the rest of the world, electric bikes sales are picking up in nearly every market.

Technology and Product Trends in 2013:

All-in-one wheel products launched by Superpedestrian and FlyKly received a lot of press and consumer attention at the end of 2013 and offer a very simple DIY conversion kit to electrify bikes. Other interesting DIY developments come from Electric Vehicle Outfitters, Bike+ and the Electron Wheel.

Italian company eSocialbike created an app and electric bike management system that connects electric bike users, retailers and manufacturers. It gives manufacturers the ability to collect useful data about users and is also used as a social and diagnostic app. 

The motor industry has matured beyond the quest for the cheapest possible motor. A number of high-tech, performance motors are now offered by makers from around the world. One company with a long history in our industry is Heinzmann, they have introduced a new motor of great promise. Shimano also developed a new drive system called STEPS and ASI (Accelerated Systems Inc.) has become a leading advanced controller developer. 

Lithium batteries from China are getting more popular. Lishen Battery Company is a world-class supplier to most of the major smart phone makers, is the fourth largest battery maker in the world, a supplier of most lithium metallurgies in most form factors and they are now expanding into LEV applications. Other great Chinese lithium battery suppliers are Grepow and Greenway Battery.

Since being acquired by the Hero Group of India, A2B has become the first electric bike brand to offer models and product for South Asia, Europe, the USA and other markets.

Gates Belt Drives are appearing on more and more electric bikes.

Looking at The 2014 Electric Bike Industry:

• More than 100 nations will become consumers of electric bikes (in serious quantities) over the next few years.
• The 2014 Electric Bikes World Wide Report (EBWR) will be published by Dr. Jamerson. This report is published every 2 years and documents over 20 years of the global electric bike industry.
• We (eCycleElectric) will be offering a monthly insider news on the electric bike industry. See below for more details.
• LEVA will be launching more electric bike technician training classes. 
• The China market will grow, but we can expect it to be less than 5%.
• The European market will grow by close to 500,000 more units compared to 2013 and more electric bike will sold in southern EU countries.
• The USA market unit sales will double, again.
• Bosch drive systems will enter the North American market in the first quarter of 2014 on BH, Felt, Haibike and Kreidler electric bikes.
• Popular media in the USA will increasingly embrace electric bikes.
• The number of brands in the USA and EU will diminish, as non-performing players will drop out or be acquired. 
• We will see how Bill Moore of EV World’s business model performs.

To stay up to date on the latest market trends, news and product developments subscribe to eCycleElectric’s Monthly Insider News Membership or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn! Comments are welcome below. 

Why People Use Electric Bikes In the United States - A Survey By ORTREC at Portland State University

Electric bikes or e-bikes vary widely in their technology and style. This study focuses on e-bikes that are essentially standard pedal bicycles that have a battery and small motor to assist the rider with propulsion. Electric scooters with pedals are not considered e-bikes for the purposes of this project.

The objective of this survey is to increase understanding of the factors influencing the purchase and use of e-bikes. 

OTREC surveyed 446 e-bike owners, using an instrument adapted from Monash University. The survey was administered online on March 7, 2013 and continues to be open at this time. Data for this poster shows results from 446 respondents through May 24, 2013. The survey was distributed through e-bike blogs, forums, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, e-mails to manufacturers and retailers, and via postcards to retailers in the Portland region. 

Click here to view the results from the survey. 

Interbike 411

The eCE team will be at Interbike in Las Vegas, Nevada this week and we created a post with helpful suggestions on what to see and do if you are in the electric bicycle industry. Take a look at our helpful list of suggestions. 

1. Download the Interbike 2013 App

The Interbike team made a very useful app to make your life easier – download it, it’s free!  To find all the electric bike companies that are exhibiting, go to the exhibitors tab on the homepage and search under the product category “Bicycles – Electric/ Power Assist”. Great features include the ability to favorite and keep track of all the exhibitors that you have seen and take meeting notes. You can also find a list of events, seminars, map of each floor, show dailies and shuttle bus info. Before getting to the show, make sure to download and browse through the app.

2. Attend LEVA Events and Pass by the LEVA Booth

For some odd reason, many of the LEVA events are not listed on the Interbike site… but do not worry, we will help you find them. If you are not familiar with LEVA, click here  to visit their website. Majority of the events will be held at the Mandalay Bay Meeting Room CORAL C and the LEVA booth is located at the Interbike E-Bike Lounge in Hall D of the trade show. Events will be held throughout the day from Wednesday to Friday and include a variety of helpful seminars and panel discussions focused on the electric bike industry. 

3. Talk to Dealers

Dozens of electric bike dealers will be at Interbike so seize the opportunity to get valuable feedback from them. They are at the forefront of each sale and are the key to understanding the electric bike consumer in the United States. Most of them will be attending LEVA events, more specifically the Networking Breakfast which is on Friday, September 20th at 7:30-9:00am in the Mandalay Bay Meeting Room Mariners A. Dealers get in for free and the cost for LEVA members is $35 and non-members are $45. If you feel that you have not spoken to enough dealers, you will most likely find many of them around the electric bike test track.

4. Test Ride Electric Bikes!

Test riding is the best way to judge the quality and system components of an electric bike. Get somebody in your company to visit the electric bike test track and have them ride at least 3-5 electric bikes by the end of each day. This is a great opportunity for your company to sample different systems and components if you are looking for new suppliers and want to see what your competitors have to offer. This year the electric bike test track is located in the corner of Hall D. 

5. Connect With Your Contacts on LinkedIn

After the show is over, connect with your contacts on LinkedIn. Business cards can often get lost in a pile of brochures after the show and sometimes you may not need to immediately follow-up with a new contact. Adding new contacts on LinkedIn is one of the best ways to keep in touch and stay up to date with the new people you have met. A great and easy way to do so is to use CardMunch, a free iPhone app that lets you take a photo of a business card, then automatically enters and saves their contact info for you. The best part is that it allows you to connect you with your new contacts on LinkedIn without having to search for their name.

To get real- time updates on what's happening at Interbike, follow us on Facebook  and Twitter! If you are not able to attend the show and have questions, post us a question on our Facebook wall or send us a tweet @eCeCycle.

Have a great show!  

eBikes Take Center Stage at Eurobike 2013

Source: SAMSUNG SDI Li-ion Battery Booth at 2013 Eurobike

Electric bikes take the spotlight at Eurobike - the largest and one of the most important bicycle trade shows in the world.

This year's show took place in Friedrichshafen, Germany and featured 1,280 exhibiting companies that represented over 54 different nations around the world. Roughly 2,000 journalists covered this 5 day trade show which included one demo day to kick off week's events, 3 days dedicated to industry participants and a closing day which was open to the public.

Of all the companies exhibiting at Eurobike, around 165 of them were electric bike brands, OEMs, systems or component suppliers – which estimates to about 20 more exhibiting brands from 2012. In addition to taking the center stage at almost every booth, electric bikes also received a large amount of press coverage compared to other products and traditional bikes.

Consistent Trends at The Show

1. The electric bike market is expanding from its traditional market of older riders and younger cyclists are increasingly using battery-powered bikes for every day transportation.
2. As more and more consumers are seeing and buying electric bikes as an efficient and cost effective transportation solution, car and car-related companies are paying close attention to these trends and are making noticeable investments into this industry with their own line of electric bikes. Most renowned car companies such as Daimler, BMW, Smart and Peugot have created unique electric bike models but have struggled with high sales numbers. Although not as recognized to consumers, car parts manufacturers such as Mando, Kymco and EH Line are also stepping into the field with impressive electric bikes - some with unique and custom drive systems and others with traditional Bosch and Panasonic fits. Although too early to say if these companies will disrupt the electric bike industry, their background experience in automotive manufacturing gives them strong credibility. 
3. One in five electric bike companies who exhibited at Eurobike are using Bosch as one of their drive system suppliers. Majority of European brands are focusing their designs and drive systems to cater to the ever growing German electric bike market – and almost all of them seem to be pro-Bosch. If they aren’t using Bosch they prefer entire drive system suppliers such as TransX, Panasonic and Neo Drives.
4. The mid-drive motor is still king in the European market. 
5. Southern European countries such as Czech Republic, France, Greece and Italy are growing markets.

What’s Next in the eBike World

Eurobike is the show that sets the standard for the electric bike industry. But there is another show coming up... Interbike,  the North American bicycle trade show. There will be about 53 electric bike-related companies exhibiting at Interbike, which is one-third of Eurobike’s total. Although the presence of electric bikes is much smaller, the North American electric bike scene is very unique and diverse.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get the latest updates from eCE about Interbike. 

Sid Kuropchak, Operations Manager of eCE & President of LEVA Succumbs to Cancer

Our friend and colleague, Sidney Kuropchak, 61, Operations Manager of eCE and President and Co-founder of the Light Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA) passed away on Aug. 23, 2013, after nearly a year long battle with cancer. She was the light and life of our company and will always be in our hearts and minds. With a constant smile on her face, Sid built eCE and LEVA with intelligence, determination and genuine kindness. Everyone who knew her shares our regards for her. 

Official Obituary

Sid is survived by spouse John Kuropchak and other family members. Professionally, Sid was a co-founder of LEVA and had served as executive director, board member and president. Her leadership and pleasant management style was responsible for the rapid growth and extensive membership of the LEVA. LEVA promotes and supports the industry of electric powered two wheelers such as electric bicycles, electric motor scooters, etc. Today LEVA has more than 250 members in 29 countries. 

Sid also acted as the Operations Manager for eCycleElectric Consulting, a working relationship that lasted more than 15 years. During this time she held key posts at WaveCrest Labs, Ultra Motor USA and Stone Industrial. Prior to that she was the president of Lauren Manufacturing. 

Those who know and worked with Sid held her in high regard. "I depended on Sid to be the wise voice of reason and to remember everything that needed to be done — while charming everyone she came in contact with, for half of my professional life," said Edward Benjamin, chairman of LEVA. "To say she is missed terribly by her friends and co-workers is an understatement. And I know her family must be devastated." 

Sid held a MA in Sociology from Kent State. She was married to John Kuropchak for 37 years. 

LEVA & ETRA Networking Dinner at Eurobike

The Light Electric Vehicle Association continues its series of networking events with a joint LEVA/ETRA member and prospective member networking dinner Thursday, August 29, 2013 during the Eurobike Show. 

This networking dinner is always heavily attended by some of the most well-known and respected leaders of our industry. Last year there were over 100 attendees representing over 75 battery, motor, controller, testing, and light electric vehicle companies. 

Dinner and refreshments will be served followed by a short presentation by LEVA and ETRA. Meet and greet key influencers in the LEV industry. Don't miss out on this important event! 

When:

Thursday, August 29, 2013, from 18:30 to 21:00

Where: 

Zeppelin Hangar Restaurant (on Eurobike grounds) 
Allmannsweilerstraße 132
Friedrichshafen 88046
Germany  

USA Ebike Market Doubles to 159,000 bikes, 908 dealers, 134 brands!

eCycleElectric International Consultants announces results of research into USA ebike market size for 2013.

During the one-year period July 2012 to July 2013, the USA Electric Bike market appears to have doubled over numbers published by Electric Bike Reports Worldwide for 2012. 

Searches of Customs and Border Protection records, phone surveys of dealers, Internet searches and interviews of distributors and dealers have revealed a doubling of USA ebike sales in the last 12 months.

908 retailers, (not including mass merchants such as Wal-Mart and Amazon) claim to be selling electric bikes.  These dealers include electric bike specialists, electric vehicle specialists, motor sports retailers, Internet retailers, independent bicycle dealers, hardware stores, car parts stores, and more. Major mass merchants such as Wal-Mart, Sears, Target, Best Buy, (and Amazon) are also participating, although not in all of their stores locations.

134 brands were identified as being offered for sale through these channels. Of those brands, at least 54 imported new product during this period.  Some brands are represented by product left over or on close out, but at least 30 brands are clearly in business, active, and thought to be growing.

While most electric bikes are imported to the USA from factories in China or Taiwan, companies such as Prodeco and Optibike assemble in the USA. Some complete bikes come rom Europe.

Almost all parts (bicycle parts, motors, batteries, controllers, etc.)  used to assemble an electric bike are imported from China or Taiwan.  Estimates of the number of bikes assembled from these parts are included in the total estimate of USA sales for the 12 months ending in July 2013 of 159,000 units. Compared to estimated 70,000 the previous year.

About eCycleElectric

eCE is an international consulting firm and trusted advisor with deep industry and functional expertise in the Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) industry. Our carefully selected team has experience covering the last 40 years of the bicycle industry and has been involved in electric bicycles and has worked with LEV companies (electric scooters, motorcycles, drive systems, batteries, motors and controllers) since 1996.

Contact:

Edward Benjamin
Senior Managing Director 
Email: ed@eCycleElectric.com  
Tel:  1-239-410-5187
Website: www.eCycleElectric.com  

Making a Bigger Impact on The LEV Industry

Products don’t sell themselves and industries don’t grow overnight – sometimes it takes a lot of money to get the job done and sometimes it just takes effort.

Since our inception in 1996, eCE has been at the forefront of the LEV Industry. We continue to grow as a company, being recognized as the go-to strategy consultant company. We have advised some of the largest and smallest companies as well as startups to help them develop into successful businesses. Now, we are taking strides to build a stronger voice and community for the industry.

Our New Look

We changed our look and some of our strategies with the launch of a new website and social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter). Our goal is to better connect and create conversations with our clients, the industry and outside audiences by providing valuable and deep insight from our expert consultants. Social media is no longer a trend or a medium just for entertainment, but a digital resource that is a creative, connecting cornerstone.

Website

• Blog – It’s one of our most exciting additions – it’s our digital voice. Read posts about industry trends, latest technological innovations, expert opinions, and so on about LEVs. If you scroll down to the foot of each blog, you will notice the share and comment buttons – we encourage you to share posts and let us know your comments; we want to hear them.
• Events – Our events page features dates, locations, website information and summaries of upcoming trade shows, conferences and events in the LEV industry. Do you need help at an upcoming trade show? Let us know. 
• Reports – We are offering free and competitively priced eBooks and eReports with topics ranging from market forecasting and key competitor analysis to customer identification. If you are interested in a custom report or analysis, please contact us.

We hope you are excited about our new website and launch of social channels as much as we are. Don’t forget to check our blog and like and follow us!