One Good marketing Plan is all we need

Teslav is going after the DIY market, a niche market. His project will never scale as the numbers are not there. However, within the DIY space, there is plenty untapped opportunity as most DIY folks are far more inclined to put a "kit" together than do all the heavy lifting that many do here. In fact, one could characterize ES as more a hobby/enthusiast market, a sister niche to DIY.

I would classify myself as a DIY in transition to become a "heavy lifter". Welding, fabricating etc... and man that take time and money. There is no way around that either. I wish I would have taken more shop classes.
 
A buddy from my college days started a company making and selling gourmet salt. He literally goes to the ocean with 5 gallon buckets, brings seawater back to his shop and boils it down to salt.
The rest is marketing.
Here is his company:
http://jacobsensalt.com/

Salt is sodium chloride no matter where it comes from. Good marketing gimmick though. I can feel my blood pressure rise by just looking at salt. It's potassium chloride for me or nothing.
 
teslanv said:
A buddy from my college days started a company making and selling gourmet salt. He literally goes to the ocean with 5 gallon buckets, brings seawater back to his shop and boils it down to salt.
The rest is marketing.
Here is his company:
http://jacobsensalt.com/

I guess he is stealing electric. Such a method is not ecologically or financially viable. Buy the man some baking trays and cooling racks. The space required is less expense than using power. Expensive to our planet.

Sea salt is not just sodium chloride. Far from it.
 
I think the average grandma would love a 25kw lipo packing monster bicycle with at least a 65 mph top speed but able to get there quick. light weight not more than 150 lbs. Polls show that I'm right about this. Keep the price below 15,000.00
 
What is interesting is that an excellent business plan was just offered and it took off and then a bunch of Nay-Sayers tore it down. It was the Storm (now Sonders) ebike. The price point hit the nail on the head. Too much was negativity was thrown out about the discrepancies in the original marketing. I don't see many people going after Pedego the way they went after the Storm, yet they do basically the same thing. They exaggerate the power and the range.

The bottom line is that you need many business plans; one for each State. Unfortunately in many states there is no business plan that will work because the politicians are unfriendly to the concept because they can't dip their hands in the well. It's too bad.

Storm has provided the price point "sweet spot" $500.00. The issue is that at that price we are talking about a semi-expensive toy rather than a mode of transportation. However, as more and more people have $500.00 ebike, certain elements will want to have something a bit nicer, then, the price point sweet spot rises.

The problem is getting the cheap bikes into people's hands in the first place when there are too many states and localities that ban them.
 
teslanv said:
Actually the 50+ crowd is probably the largest demographic of ebikes, but my gut tells me they generally prefer PAS/pedelec systems, and sticking to bike trails and less busy roads. They will be the easiest demographic to sway. They also have the financial means to buy what they want for the most part.

The commuting crowd is definitely the harder nut to crack, especially those commuters nestled safely in their steel cages. - However, if electric bikes could be viewed similarly to motorcycles, I think we could gain a respectable following. Being able to keep up with traffic and also to creatively and legally avoid it, when the opportunity presents itself is key.

Urban sprawl is another factor to consider. While many commuters would never consider riding a standard bicycle 20 miles each way to work, with an electric bicycle, this feat becomes much more manageable. - In some instances, the commute may be shorter on an ebike than in a car. - For this group, cost is crucial.

The Primary demographic I am trying to hit is the performance market - Dirt Bike riders, Thrill seekers. People who really enjoy the feel of acceleration, power and speed. - This Demographic seems pretty small at the moment, and heavily concentrated on Endless-Sphere. I hope to grow this demographic substantially, as they are our most vocal supporters.
I've been in Texas for the last week, at my Sister's place, to escape the NE winter of my home. I've been having fun, including a visit to Revolution E Bikes, a retailer specializing in sales, service & rental of eBikes & eScooters of various makes. Yes, he just confirmed that the demographic is the 55+ plus crowd. Folks who have slowed down in life and like it that way, the boomer environmentally conscious crowd (lots of us). He's located not too far from Rice U and the Texas medical center, so I asked about students. No, not too many of those. Any emerging market has its fore-runners, first buyers. I like it that its my generation. He's selling both Pedego and ProdecoTeck bikes and others. Figured I'd take one for a spin on his $40 half-day rental and rode around the Montrose area, up to Buffalo Bayou Park the the huge investment Houston is making for a world class bike trail from the west-side to the heart of down-town.

A successful business venture in eBikes would, I believe provide rides for each of the main age/gender ranges, up the the 65+ crowd and adult electric assist tricycles.

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=67109&p=1010561#p1010375
Nelson37 said:
IMO you need three or four marketing plans.

First step is to identify your customer, then identify what they want, also what they are willing to pay.

Absolutely figure out that 95% of the builds detailed on this site are totally out of the question for the average consumer. I get about one service call every year where I go out, and show them how to turn it on. The average consumer finds a toaster about as complex a device as they can handle.

Of-road dirt bikes, grocery-getter utility bikes, high(-er) speed commuters, and road/exercise bikes. That's four.

Reliable batteries with minimal risk. RC Lipo is totally unacceptable. Consumers understand laptop and cordless tool batteries. They will buy a product using something similar.
The battery needs to be easily removable and portable, or securely locked-down. In a perfect world, you would have both.....

...Standardize on a few sizes, and ONE chemistry, of battery, using one charger, one type of port, all connectors interchangeable across the whole line. Also standardize on a few types of motor option, order in quantity and stock all parts. The consumer will NOT accept waiting for new parts from China.

A couple models of the MAC, also a Qute or MXUS, plus a medium and a monster DD motor. Large orders would allow for some improvements from the factory, such as Cell-man and others have done...

...I already have a brand-name and slogan picked out for the one I will sell in Florida, manufactured at my vast underground complex. The Sun-Bike. It's FUN!
Sounds like a fine plan and name for a line of eBikes. What if there were a small maker in every locale making speciality eBikes for their place. With a large association of independents involved with each other for cooperative buying and marketing purposes?
100volts+ said:
Salt is sodium chloride no matter where it comes from. Good marketing gimmick though. I can feel my blood pressure rise by just looking at salt. It's potassium chloride for me or nothing.
Hmm, not exactly. There are lots of mineral-salts in the ocean and NaCl is just one. There's KCl for instance, another salt that might be considered essential to human nutrition. We carry an ocean in our blood vessels because that's where we emerged from. But its not just salts. Oceans carry all sorts of things, including pollutants and radioactive nucleotides. So where the ocean water comes from can be critical.
 
We carry an ocean in a blood vessels because that's where we emerged from.

Give me a break. Everyone knows we are the product that resulted when an alien civilization who probably already developed hydrogen fuel cell bicycles, seeded the earths monkeys with human dna that they made in a test tube. How else would you explain how our bodies are perfectly adapted to ride bicycles. I'll bet you didn't even think of that.
 
Might research a bit before you name your bike sun. A huge American company is called Sun bicycle.

But it was a good idea for a name, just one taken about 40 years ago or more. 8)
 
100volts+ said:
Give me a break. Everyone knows we are the product that resulted when an alien civilization who probably already developed hydrogen fuel cell bicycles, seeded the earths monkeys with human dna that they made in a test tube. How else would you explain how our bodies are perfectly adapted to ride bicycles. I'll bet you didn't even think of that.
I confess to vast ignorance and that everything I have to say is opinion. I have suspected that the alien theory of our origins may be correct. That the human body evolved to fit the eBike, rather than the converse, is indeed proof that eBikers may be a more highly evolved and profess an advanced civilization beyond the pale. When do we ride out of Eaarth's stratosphere? Don't want to miss the big event. Is Elon Musk our leader? Is SpacX an alien seed project? There is just so much I don't know. :lol:
 
TeslaNV has a great point. We need this product. ES folk are likely too smart to see it though.

ES aint likely to be its source. Though totally its inspriration.

I have been captivated by the whole Storm-Sonders saga.
Fascinated by its basis in 90% hype 10% product.
They very good at what they have to do , but not a bit better than they have to be.

See Clayton Christensen's work on creative destruction, “the Innovators Dilemma”, or save some time and just watch some of his youtubes.
Watch “Tucker”.
How did VW start their part of the transportation revolution? Not with a Benz.

Storm steals eyeballs while we talk about watts per km.

Entry bikes need to be affordable, reliable, cool, accessible. Plug and Play. Low maintenance.
Useful, out competes competition on an everyday task at hand.
Currie has the best start .
They haven't exactly found their Prius.

So I would ask "what's missing?".

Musk ain't investing in cars.
He's investing in batteries
 
Is Elon Musk our leader? Is SpacX an alien seed project? There is just so much I don't know. :lol:

I'm thinking he is human but from hundreds of years in the future. He can't change to much too fast otherwise he could cause a time quake or worse, a tear in fabric of the space-time continuum. :shock:
 
Nelson37 said:
So Sun Bicycles stole my name, eh? Bet they don't have vast underground complex, though. SolBike and SunRay are alternates. A bright yellow model named "SunWhiz", or maybe not.

IMO, the Storm project has "Tucker" written all over it. I can't see how they can possibly manufacture enough bikes to pay off the early "investors" (suckers), at such a loss on each unit, plus more to sell at a realistic price that includes some profit, before they just run out of money. They still at this point appear to only have one working machine.

They have not "established a price point", but they have identified interest.

It's an old sales trick I learned this way. "This product is priced at $2,500.00" "That's way too much." "OK, what would you think of this product at $1,000.00?" If they express some interest, now you have some room to negotiate. If they say it's still to high, the response is "Tell you what, I'll make you a deal. (pause while they lean in). I'll quit wasting your time, if you'll quit wasting mine", then walk away. That individual is not a viable buyer.

The real selling price of these units should be about $1,295.00, if they can reach that, and assuming they will survive long enough to make the attempt. IMO, these guys are wild-eyed dreamers with little to no understanding of the economic realities of doing business. Somebody who does will see the market they have identified, and arrange to provide the product that market wants.

I agree that Storm will most likely not be around for the long haul. What many are disregarding in relation to the Storm bike is that the final product will in no way look or perform like the prototype and it was never meant to. It will be similar in that it will be a fat bike with a motor and most likely a fancy triangle case. That is most likely where the similarities will end.

But that doesn't matter. The real issue is that they are not filling an existing need/demand. They created a demand and then will fill it. The profit margin on the Storm bike will be very thin and since there is simply not enough existing demand, they will flounder. What will most likely happen is that they will deliver a 350w cheap "Beast" clone and then they will simply fade away.

In order to succeed with an ebike, the first people to convert will need to be bike shop owners and their employees. The demand for ebikes in most areas will not sustain an actual ebike dealership. it would be necessary to partner with existing bike shops and focus on selling the owners and bike mechanics first. They are the key to any enterprise like this. these are the people that will make or break any attempt to manufacture them.

The problem is that a lot of them are still a bit snobbish and look down on the ebike. Anecdotally, I was recently at a bike shop with the DH Comp. It drew a lot of attention but the owner was a bit stand offish. One of the mechanics asked to ride it and then soon they were all taking turns draining my battery but the owner would not go near it. These are the people that need to be converted. As long as these people, who are deemed to be "experts" view ebikes as something other than bikes, it is going to be a steep uphill battle.

The older crowd is definitely the key. They are mature, have money, and most importantly, they vote.
 
What about a franchise business model built on an existing respected and reputable company?

Maybe have two divisions - Sales and Rentals?

Why reinvent the wheel or reinvent the supply chain that provides said wheel?

What if there already exists a company that has deep and established supply roots(routes) that could charge a slight markup on inventory and/or provide floor plans at reasonable interest rates that both grow the base company and expand the overall lev market?

Why expend resources in a zero-to-low sum game when they could be combined and compounded exponentially? I have always been one who would rather work with rather than against someone.

Look at most business cycles in any industry. Most start with a large scattered group of initial competitors, where the best develop into established companies and eventually merge into oligopolies. Maybe this competitive refining process is necessary to spurn innovation from the greedy, but it sure is inefficient.

Can you tell I'm tired of playing the consumer economy shell game? :roll:

This message in no way should be interpreted as an endorsement of a centrally planned economy. Consolidating power in the hands of a few greedy individuals is way more dangerous than any competitive economy. At least with competition the greedy eat each other at a faster rate. :lol:
 
What we should do is provide a forum to open source our concepts. Open sourced ES motors, frames and circuit deigns.

There's a market for equipped people to produce them for others through agreements or authorized producers.

This is an amazingly intelligent and passionate group. Imagine the bugs we could sort out in open sourced project files.
 
r3volved said:
What we should do is provide a forum to open source our concepts. Open sourced ES motors, frames and circuit deigns.

There's a market for equipped people to produce them for others through agreements or authorized producers.

This is an amazingly intelligent and passionate group. Imagine the bugs we could sort out in open sourced project files.

This is kinda what I was eluding to in my first post. An open-source ebike platform, that is modular, scalable and easily and inexpensively reproducable. This is ultimately what I hope to accomplish with the "Urban Assault" Project

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=66978
 
Ya exactly, there will always be folks like you willing to put themselves out the time and effort to produce and supply open sourced deigns. Instead of anecdotal contributions, users can actually update models with their knowledge.

There will always be highly financed improvements coming out of big companies, but there's no reason we can't linux their Microsoft.
 
Nelson37 said:
What would you do different if you wanted a max speed of 20-25mph, range around 20 miles, for road-use only, (with an off-road switch) and a selling price of around $1500 or less, with no Lipo but including an inexpensive bottle battery (or something similar)? While maintaining a "pedal-able" bicycle?

I think the Genesis V2100 bike is a great starting point?platform for a variety of Conversions.

Obviously, it's virtues have been demonstrated in the High Performance builds from myself, 100volts+, evolutiongts, farfle and others. You can also take the stock bike, and install a BBS02 ($~600) kit on it, or a Yescomusa DD Hub Kit ($300) or a Geared Hub Kit from Em3EV (~$500). Add a 10AH 48V battery (Samsung 25R cells, $600) and a bit of skill to install, and you can easily have a $1500 build.

On my build, without including the battery, for which the costs can very widely, I have amassed the following Bill of parts & Materials:

Genesis V2100 Frame: $130
Farfle Swing Arm $200
Used (Craigslist) Suspension Forks: $250
Used (eBay) Rear Shock: $110
Rear Shock Spacers: $25
Headset: $30
Front Wheel (John Rob Holmes): $250
Motor: MXUS Laced in Moped Rim: $500
Tires & Tubes: $130
Controller: $125
Seat & Seat Post (used): $25
Bottom Bracket: $25
Chain Ring: $25
Single Speed Freewheel: $25
Chain: $25
Cranks & Pedals: $50
Chainring Guard (Custom Water-jet Cut from BigBlueSaw): $32
Stem & Handle bars (Used): $50
Cycle Analyst V2.3: $130
Misc. Wiring & Connectors: $50

Total (Without Battery) = ~$2200

The 84V-10Ah battery I chose to start with cost $~250 from Hobbyking. This is simply 5S2P of the Turnigy 4S Hard case packs. - So my total build is right around $2500. Granted you would probably not want to choose any used parts if you were going to market this bike as "turn-key" to a consumer, so figure probably another $500 for ALL NEW parts. But when you compare the performance of this $3000 bike vs that of a more common Production $3000, I think you get quite a bit more. And of course $3000 is the COST to build the bike, so to have some profit for yourself as a business, I would not sell it for less than $4000.

But I think the strategy I would like to pursue is not one where I sell completed bikes, but rather to let the customer experience the pride of building something themselves, with very detailed "How-To" instructions. The end result of this process is a bike that the consumer really understands and can service themselves, instead of having to take it into their bike shop every time something goes out of alignment, or their battery or display starts acting buggy. - This would really be an opportunity to educate consumers about the products they buy and use, and to make them an informed consumer, rather than one who just hands over their wallet whenever something needs upgrades, repair or routine service.
 
Nelson37 said:
Tesla, I think you have built a great bike at a great price, but I'm aiming at the more budget-oriented consumer with lesser needs.

Say you had the bike, battery, and motor kit, and were left with $500.00 to upgrade the bicycle itself, keeping in mind a fairly low-power kit, where would you spend the $500.00?

Or do you think that, at lower speeds, the basic bicycle is "good enough", or, certain pieces can suffice within a limited budget?
Honestly, if you are trying to build an ebike as cheap as possible, just use the stock bike, and install a kit & battery. Perhaps some road tires for better efficiency on the roads. Both the BBS02 kit and the YescomUSA kits are a great value, although I think you will get more utility with the BBS02 kit.

The other Platform I am looking into is the Mongoose Dolomite Frame from Walmart:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/26-Mongoose-Dolomite-Men-s-7-speed-Fat-Tire-Mountain-Bike-Navy-Blue-Red/29741123

I may develop a "Kit" for this bike based on either the Leaf 1500 Motor that Neptronix is swooning over lately, or the MXUS 3000W Hub.
 
teslanv said:
I think the Genesis V2100 bike is a great starting point?platform for a variety of Conversions.


Absolutely!

I'm with you :wink:

With that long swingarm, maybe consider marketing them as "Up Hill" eBikes?!
 
Ch00paKabrA said:
The problem is that a lot of them are still a bit snobbish and look down on the ebike. Anecdotally, I was recently at a bike shop with the DH Comp. It drew a lot of attention but the owner was a bit stand offish. One of the mechanics asked to ride it and then soon they were all taking turns draining my battery but the owner would not go near it. These are the people that need to be converted. As long as these people, who are deemed to be "experts" view ebikes as something other than bikes, it is going to be a steep uphill battle.

If you want to interest an older, knowledgeable, experienced cyclist in an e-bike, you'll have to bring an e-bike that is based on a bike he doesn't consider nasty to begin with. I don't know any committed everyday cyclists who think a DH bike is a worthwhile ride on the street. If they wanted to ride motorcycles, they'd simply ride motorcycles.

The lack of traction by e-bikes among bicycle people is at least partly a matter of taste. For various reasons both practical and cultural, the e-bike community tends to gravitate towards the kinds of bikes that mark you as naïve and unsophisticated within the mainstream cycling world. You won't be getting seasoned cyclists to take your e-bike seriously until they can look at it and recognize a serious bike that has e-assist. They'll have to figure out for themselves how and why a good e-bike maybe should differ from a good pedal-only bike.

Right or wrong, until you bring something tasteful, you'll fall into the category previously established by alcoholic crackpots with horrible gas motor conversions of horrible department store cruisers.
 
Chalo said:
Ch00paKabrA said:
The problem is that a lot of them are still a bit snobbish and look down on the ebike. Anecdotally, I was recently at a bike shop with the DH Comp. It drew a lot of attention but the owner was a bit stand offish. One of the mechanics asked to ride it and then soon they were all taking turns draining my battery but the owner would not go near it. These are the people that need to be converted. As long as these people, who are deemed to be "experts" view ebikes as something other than bikes, it is going to be a steep uphill battle.

If you want to interest an older, knowledgeable, experienced cyclist in an e-bike, you'll have to bring an e-bike that is based on a bike he doesn't consider nasty to begin with. I don't know any committed everyday cyclists who think a DH bike is a worthwhile ride on the street. If they wanted to ride motorcycles, they'd simply ride motorcycles.

The lack of traction by e-bikes among bicycle people is at least partly a matter of taste. For various reasons both practical and cultural, the e-bike community tends to gravitate towards the kinds of bikes that mark you as naïve and unsophisticated within the mainstream cycling world. You won't be getting seasoned cyclists to take your e-bike seriously until they can look at it and recognize a serious bike that has e-assist. They'll have to figure out for themselves how and why a good e-bike maybe should differ from a good pedal-only bike.

Right or wrong, until you bring something tasteful, you'll fall into the category previously established by alcoholic crackpots with horrible gas motor conversions of horrible department store cruisers.


Personally, I dont even try to persuade regular cyclists to become interested in ebikes...I could care less and am aware that many of them are gonna have that snobish " purist" bicycle attitude. All one has to do , to see this snobish attitude is go over to the MTB forum and make a post about your ebike and the bike snobs will go into attack mode.

One of the main reasons I got into ebikes, is because we have alot of trails and wilderness and back roads made of gravel in my area, which we used to be allowed to ride ATVS/ DIRT BIKES/ on, but the police have been clamping down on it more and more. With a ebike, I can still ride those areas and not be harassed and do it quietly with out hearing the roar of a 2 stroke/ 4 stroke combustion engine .

I actually do not want to see ebikes become very popular, because I know once that happens, new laws will be passed, requiring things like a ebike license , insurance ,etc . The main reason those things have not become legislated is because ebikes are still quite uncommon amongst 99% of society.
 
In my location, I have been riding a ebike for 3 years, and never met 1 other person who had one, or knew about them . Im happy about this because I know once ebikes become a common item amongst people, the parasite politicians will be passing laws to limit ebike freedoms and impose extra fees for owning and riding ebikes.
 
But I think the strategy I would like to pursue is not one where I sell completed bikes, but rather to let the customer experience the pride of building something themselves, with very detailed "How-To" instructions. The end result of this process is a bike that the consumer really understands and can service themselves, instead of having to take it into their bike shop every time something goes out of alignment, or their battery or display starts acting buggy. - This would really be an opportunity to educate consumers about the products they buy and use, and to make them an informed consumer, rather than one who just hands over their wallet whenever something needs upgrades, repair or routine service.[/quote]


Teslanv -

That is spot on.
 
actionobject said:
But I think the strategy I would like to pursue is not one where I sell completed bikes, but rather to let the customer experience the pride of building something themselves, with very detailed "How-To" instructions. The end result of this process is a bike that the consumer really understands and can service themselves, instead of having to take it into their bike shop every time something goes out of alignment, or their battery or display starts acting buggy. - This would really be an opportunity to educate consumers about the products they buy and use, and to make them an informed consumer, rather than one who just hands over their wallet whenever something needs upgrades, repair or routine service.


Teslanv -

That is spot on.[/quote]

From a business perspective, it might not be so good. Generally the margins from selling the headline product in these sorts of categories are not that much to survive on alone. It is the servicing, parts and accessory sales where the business makes money too. Selling a completed bike can avoid issues that arise when inexperienced people put things together incorrectly and then become dissatisfied with the product. Sell a no frills base model for those on a tight budget to get them started and to attract interest, a great value mid-range option and a full bells and whistles high price version. Provide a good service network, a range of upgrades and custom options to allow personalisation and build a lifestyle brand, not a commodity. Then offer workshops on bike maintenance for those that have an interest and customer ride days to help build the tribe. There is no one bike that will do it for all, so you will need to consider either sticking to a specific user type or add a couple of other models. Think commuter, MTB/fatbike, high performance, recreational/bikepath, elderly, etc.
 
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