I don't know if I have anything to say that's worth much, but I can tell you my background as a consumer of e-bikes.
I am impulsive. When I have an idea I want it to be reality right away, and I don't want to wait. I am also a slow learner (but a thorough learner). Others pick up on things quickly, but for me I need a little info at a time so that it really soaks in.
When I first got the idea to want an electric bike, it was probably from a chance encounter on E-bay with a kit. I didn't know what to expect, believe, etc., and so I did a bit of research. I started at Bikeforums.net and started to assume that ebikes were a thought in the minds of many, but not a reality (nobody there seemed to be making any decent progress).
Somehow I stumbled upon Endless Sphere, and asked a lot of questions. The fact that so many people here took their valuable time to answer my questions (over and over....because I learn so slowly) is a testament to the quality of this gathering. I've never seen anything like it. Someone should buy this site and advertise on it.....wait....scratch that........just a joke.
Long story short: When I started I just wanted something that worked and was easy. But most of the pre-made stuff is such crap (you see it in Walmart, etc.).
Most people have no wish to take apart their bike and put it back together with an e-kit (women especially, as evidenced by the handful of women on Endless Sphere). Most people just want something that works.
In my experience, Trek Bikes has the "best" product out there right now. Why? Because it's there, it's in stock, it looks neat and professional, and it works. You can walk right into any Trek store, give the bike a try, buy it, and you have a working product with warranty and that's that. Instant gratification.
Are there better, more-affordable alternatives? Clearly (that's why I made my own...four builds now). But I think most people want to just go to a showroom, try the bike and say, "wow, that's really cool. I'll take one."
Americans are very much geared toward instant gratification. We don't want to wait. We see something and we want it that day, in stock, no waiting.
That's not necessarily a good trait for us, but that's what we are used to having. We also want it to be packaged properly. Neat, new, clean, ready. The rest of the world finds this annoying, but I seriously doubt the American consumer mentality is going to change anytime soon. It's just the way we are wired now.
24 hours, 7 days a week. That's the American business model now. Get the customer to buy it quickly before it becomes available somewhere else cheaper, quicker.
I'll tell you how bad it is: A few years ago I was in Mexico and walked past a new car dealership (Ford). I immediately noticed that the tires on some of the new cars had a light film on the tread. They had been driven. Well, in the USA, right after a car is driven 100 feet they clean the wheels to make it look brand new. We all know that every "new" car on the lot has a few miles on it from test drives, but when that test drive is over they erase any evidence that the car has been touched. That's how picky Americans have become. MY CAR. MY NEW CAR.
Next point: My town has two bike shops: locally-owned bike shop and Trek Superstore. Trek is newer, in a nice building (that is only Trek) and has a staff in matching Trek shirts. Their store doesn't have empty bike racks. Inventory is always full, and if they don't have the bike you want they'll have it for you that day or the next morning (Atlanta is a regional distribution hub, making it easy for all Trek stores to get bikes quickly). They provide free brake and gear adjustment for life, and treat the person looking for a 300 dollar bike the same as someone looking for a 7000 dollar bike. You're a valued customer.
The locally owned bike shop has its qualities (kind of....I guess), but it's what you would typically expect: a bunch of guys who know a good bit about bikes, but are goofy (perhaps on something), and really don't understand why everyone doesn't know as much about bikes as they do. Their stock is usually limited, so they are taking in used bikes on consignment (not really a bad thing, but definitely changes their image). Their shop in the back is a mess, and one of the main guys there is an older gentleman who is a complete know-it-all. There's no such thing as a simple answer with that guy. If you ask, "I want to get a kit to put disc brakes on my bike; do you have anything in stock that would fit?"
There's no way you're going to get a quick answer. He's going to "educate" you on all manner of brakes, etc. until you end up frustrated or buying something you never intended to buy. Or maybe you'll learn a lot and be glad you did. But you won't get a simple answer.
What is my point?
Narrow down exactly what you intend to do with your business. If you are catering toward the kind of people on Endless Sphere, then I guess you'll have to look at a company like AmpedBikes, Ebikes.ca, ebikekit.com, and others for a good business model.
If you just want to sell E-bikes to people who don't care how it works, people who just want to try it, buy it, use it, and not think about it, then you'll have to just make a ton of ebikes, set up a show room, and sell them.
