Pedego, one of the earliest entrants into the US electric bicycle market and home to over 200 brick-and-mortar e-bikes stores, will collaborate with Newport Beach, California-based Electric Bike Company, bringing highly customized US-made electric bikes into Pedego’s lineup.
Electric Bike Company has built an impressive reputation for its made-in-California electric bikes, which are assembled at the company’s handful of Newport Beach facilities.
The company’s famous Customizer program offers thousands of variations on its many models, allowing customers to create a bespoke bike with a combination of several dozen paint colors, a wide range of add-on accessories, and various e-bike components chosen by the rider.
Now Electric Bike Company and Pedego are teaming up to bring that same Customizer experience into Pedego’s network of brick-and-mortar franchise stores around the US.
“Electric Bike Company is excited to announce a collaboration with Pedego, one of the most respected names in the e-bike industry,” declared EBC in a statement provided to Electrek. “This partnership aims to revitalize Pedego’s 200 locations across the U.S. by introducing Electric Bike Company’s USA-made e-Cruisers and its unique customization tools, including the design wall, where customers can design bikes like the popular Model J, Y, E, or A.”
That design wall, also known as the Customizer, consists of a large touchscreen display where riders can physically design their custom e-bike directly on the wall before sending it off to be built-to-order in the California factory.
“The collaboration will enhance customer engagement by offering beautifully personalized, fully built bikes, all made in the U.S.,” continued the company. “Electric Bike Company stands as a leader in American-made, customizable e-bikes, while Pedego’s reach in the industry brings an established network of dealers and customers. Together, they will create a powerful synergy.”
The partnership seeks to address two key markets using the same physical store: mass-produced, affordable imports, as well as built-to-order American-made bikes.
The first two stores launching the new partnership include Pedego Electric Bikes Corona Del Mar and Pedego Electric Bikes Newport Beach on the Newport Peninsula, though the majority of Pedego’s network is expected to follow suit. Check out how the Customizer system works in the short video below.
Electrek’s Take
This is an interesting development because it comes at a time when we’re witnessing rapid consolidation in the e-bike market. Just last week saw two large e-bike brands shut down, underlining how increased competition and a squeezing market have impacted the ballooning e-bike industry.
When once competing brands can work together on partnerships or mergers that benefit both of them by combining unique selling propositions, customers benefit by maintaining access to those unique models.
In this case, Pedego is the undisputed king of putting ready-to-ride e-bikes on showroom floors and making them accessible to potential customers, which is a rarity in this direct-to-consumer world we’re living in. Pedego’s model has long set the company apart from most other internet-based electric bike brands in the US. On the other hand, Electric Bike Company’s famous custom-built e-bikes provide a unique opportunity for one-of-a-kind rides that are built by American workers who earn a living wage and work in comfortable conditions.
Both brands being able to team up seems like a win-win, keeping ready-to-ride electric bikes out on the floor but also bringing customers the option of building their own custom bike directly on the wall through customizer software inside the store.
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