How the fat bike Lectric XP went from garage e-bike

How the fat bike Lectric XP went from garage e-bike

The Lectric XP fats tire electrical bike from Lectric E-Bikes has developed a large fan base with almost 25,000 e-bikes bought. But barely greater than a 12 months in the past, nobody had ever heard of a Lectric XP.
So the place did the massively standard e-bike come from?
That is the Lectric XP origin story.
Based by lifelong buddies Robby Deziel and Levi Conlow, Lectric E-Bikes first started as a quest to discover a extra inexpensive e-bike for Levi’s dad. He was available in the market for an electrical bike and had seen plenty of fancy $3,000+ e-bikes, however needed one thing far more budget-friendly for his first experiment with an e-bike. 

Robby and Levi noticed the chance available in the market and determined to mix the previous’s mechanical engineering background with the latter’s enterprise and entrepreneurism training.
They began by designing a easy, cheap commuter e-bike that received the job achieved however didn’t include any fancy bells or whistles. Levi’s dad invested and the pair had a lot of samples constructed to begin testing gross sales. Issues had been trying promising till they realized that they couldn’t discover any prospects. They tried to promote their new design on their web site, craigslist, flea markets, and wherever they may. 

However nobody purchased it.
So that they began gathering suggestions from individuals who tried the bike. And the extra they heard, the extra they realized.
Riders responded that they needed one thing that wasn’t as tall as a commuter bike. They needed one thing smaller that may very well be transported without having a motorcycle rack on the again of their automotive. They needed one thing extra comfy.
Robby and Levi took that suggestions and returned to the drafting board. And after redesigning the bike, the Lectric XP popped out the opposite facet as that bike we all know at the moment. 

The Lectric XP featured a decrease peak due to its 20″ wheels, but used fats tires to maintain it comfy even with out suspension. It provided a folding mechanism so riders may transport the bike in a trunk as a substitute of on a automotive rack. It was quick, with a 28 mph (45 km/h) high velocity. And most significantly, it was priced at a reasonable $999.The $999 Lectric XP fats tire e-bikeThe one downside remaining was that that they had burnt by their preliminary mortgage on the primary design. They tried their luck yet one more time, As Levi defined to Electrek, “I had to return and ask, ‘Hey Dad, how would you prefer to lose some extra money?
Now in the summertime of 2019 and with sufficient cash for 10 pattern bikes, Robby and Levi jumped again into the hearth yet one more time. However this time, they took a unique method. 

They despatched their 10 samples out to 10 totally different e-bike reviewers (of which I happened to be one of them, barely a year ago this month).
It was an enormous threat, as they had been out of money and nearly out of time. Robby was counting the times earlier than he ran out of hire cash and needed to transfer again house.
It was at that time when the primary evaluations had been posted. And this time the response was enormous. The gross sales instantly flowed in and rapidly turned a torrent as extra evaluations had been revealed. The general public went nuts for a quick, highly effective fat-tire electrical bike for just $999.In only a few weeks that they had already hit $1 million in pre-orders. At first the pair had been understanding of their condo and storage, however as tons of of thousand of {dollars} in pre-sales started to pour in, it turned apparent that they had been going to wish to improve.
They quickly moved into an workplace complicated and added a warehouse. Subsequent got here time to construct the group.
Robby and Levi had been initially dealing with the whole lot themselves, working 18-hour days and answering the telephones continuous. However quickly they realized how necessary it was to herald the fitting folks to construct out the group.

And the primary main purpose was to construct up a superb repute for buyer help.
As Robby defined, “We all know we are able to’t present the best possible e-bike for simply $899. However we are able to present the perfect worth. And we are able to present the perfect buyer help.”
And in order that’s what they did. Because the gross sales continued to flood in, Lectric E-Bikes expanded their buyer help group who usually work 12-hour days to reply telephones and emails. They began with 10 buyer help reps however anticipate that quantity to triple by this time subsequent 12 months as they proceed to develop. The founders have additionally made certain to place their workers on their very own Lectric XP e-bikes to have firsthand expertise, and maintain loaners obtainable in order that workers can take their buddies on rides as effectively.
Robby and Levy have additionally introduced in a brand new director of operations to herald outdoors experience and expertise, who helped additional enhance the corporate within the midst of a massive run on e-bikes across the country.
As Levi defined:

At first it may be arduous to let go of operating issues your self, particularly when you’ve got a easy operation going. However bringing in our new director of operations has been an enormous profit. She obsesses over efficiency and particulars. We first advised her about our opponents and the way they will have wait instances of days for emails and wait instances of hours for calls, and the way we thought we had been doing alright since we had telephone wait instances of round 20 minutes and possibly as much as a day for emails. However she got here in and stated ‘Nope, that’s not advantageous by me.’ She needed these numbers introduced right down to 97% of telephone calls being answered in below one minute and emails being handled extra like a buyer chat with fast responses. She needed to make us grow to be probably the most obtainable electrical bike firm. And somebody with that kind of imaginative and prescient, it impressed all of us to get behind it. And now I’m assured in saying we’ve top-of-the-line if not THE finest buyer help within the business now.

Whereas letting go of the duties of their firm has been tough for the founders, these sorts of experiences have proven them why it’s so vital to herald new experience.
As Robby elaborated, “We used to put on about 20 hats every, and now we’re sporting extra like 10.”Releasing up a few of their time has additionally helped Robby and Levi deal with constructing their group, which the pair defined has been vital to their success. Lectric E-Bikes spends nearly nothing on advertising and marketing, as a substitute counting on a group of happy prospects to unfold the phrase in regards to the Lectric XP e-bike.
As Levi continued:

We promote an $999 e-bike, we are able to’t afford to spend a lot on buyer acquistition. As an alternative, we depend on our prospects sharing our story. We’ve created superb buyer advocates, and an enormous a part of that’s the good buyer help that we offer.
The group that we’re constructing is extremely particular and I might say that one of the vital rewarding issues proper now’s being out in public and seeing our bikes. Now we have near 25,000 bikes out in circulation and it’s simply so rewarding to see folks on the market driving our bikes and listen to them spreading the phrase.

As Lectric E-Bikes seems towards the longer term, they’ve continued to deal with increasing their group and their choices. The corporate not too long ago launched a new step-through version of the Lectric XP that makes the bike extra accessible to riders who’ve hassle swinging their leg over a motorcycle.
As the corporate continues its skyward trajectory, the place will they be a 12 months from now? We’re as excited as anybody else to seek out out!

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