Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Electrically assisted bikes, trikes, etc. that are legal in the UK
MarcusT
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by MarcusT »

Yes, they are over priced.
Cube.jpg

Medley.jpg


Guess which costs more
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reohn2
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by reohn2 »

PH wrote:
reohn2 wrote:Check out the price of this motorcycle:- https://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/ran ... ons.html#/ look carefully at the amount of engineering that goes into it or any other motorcycle FTM,and particularly Royal Enfield.

Yes, the price comparison does make it look better value by far. But then you look at the production methods and volumes and it isn't hard to see where the price differential comes from. I've been inside the Derby Toyota plant a few years ago, where they're churning out 3,000 cars a week, it isn't like Ford's Dagenham plant in the 80's where I also visited (Well worked, but we were on strike so much I only ever felt like a visitor)
Maybe if when the E-Bike market is big enough to attract the likes of Honda, the unit price will drop. Until then I think the right comparison is with bikes of the same quality, take away the battery cost and that seems to be around +40% or +60%* with the battery, that doesn't seem unreasonable to me. When you look at the conversion kits, they only make sense if you already have the bike, if they were so overpriced it'd be a more competitive market.

* Feel free to test that theory out for yourself, look at the current new price of those two bikes you've sold and the electric bikes available for 40% - 60% more.

I understand the economies of scale but ebikes and bike manufacturers aren't strangers to mass assembly nor are ebikes as complex as motorcycles manufacture.
But what we're discussing is value for money for the ordinary joe and joess who needs transport in two wheeled form,of course enthusiasts will pay many thousands of £s for an ebike but for a half decent machine they're not a cheap option to buy and if you're interested in a Dutch or German manufacturer(built from far eastern parts but assembled in the EU)the sky's the limit.
Al,of this parish,bought an Otler(one of the lesser known German brands ) for,I think,£1500 which was a bargain,but you'd struggle today to buy the same machine for over £2,500.The e-kit I fitted to our Circe tandem with 17.5ah battery alone cost £700.
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Cowsham
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by Cowsham »

Even the kits are overpriced -- the cheapest kit I can get is still around £450 but then bikes are overpriced for what they are too, they're just bicycles and 2 grands way too much.
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mattsccm
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by mattsccm »

Are they? Or are they just more than people want to pay?
Why should a bike be a fundamental like a slice of bread. Why not a luxury?
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Vetus Ossa
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by Vetus Ossa »

MarcusT wrote:Yes, they are over priced.
Cube.jpg
Medley.jpg

Guess which costs more

But which would you rather own :?:
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Cyril Haearn
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Neither, I shall stick with my fixie worth a few hundred :wink:
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Vetus Ossa
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by Vetus Ossa »

Cyril Haearn wrote:Neither, I shall stick with my fixie worth a few hundred :wink:

Exactly...each to their own Cyril
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al_yrpal
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by al_yrpal »

My ebike. https://www.bikester.co.uk/ortler-bozen ... 01047.html I paid £1500.. there was a 15% summer discount in 2019.

The Ortler is a good quality basic bike bike with excellent electrics. Very pleased with it. Many decent ordinary bikes are overpriced in comparison to other things.

Paying more than 2 grand is bonkers IMO

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Cowsham
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by Cowsham »

al_yrpal wrote:My ebike. https://www.bikester.co.uk/ortler-bozen ... 01047.html I paid £1500.. there was a 15% summer discount in 2019.

The Ortler is a good quality basic bike bike with excellent electrics. Very pleased with it. Many decent ordinary bikes are overpriced in comparison to other things.

Paying more than 2 grand is bonkers IMO

Al



Sorry I meant over 2 grand for a non electric bike! Yes they may be the latest plastic fantastic or specialist Tourer but the engineering isn't rocket science.
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richtea99
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by richtea99 »

Anyone who pays more than £2000 for an eBike is profligate. Anyone who pays less than is an idiot.



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Oldjohnw
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by Oldjohnw »

A Vespa Ellectrica cost less than £5,000. Zero RFL, 32mph, 50 miles range.

A good shopping/commuting firm of transport?
John
MarcusT
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by MarcusT »

Vetus Ossa wrote:
MarcusT wrote:Yes, they are over priced.
Cube.jpg
Medley.jpg

Guess which costs more

But which would you rather own :?:

I own both 8)
I wish it were as easy as riding a bike
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Cowsham
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by Cowsham »

I predict all that ev stuff will come way down in price -- much lower in fact than ic vehicles cost. If you consider the cost to manufacture and complexity of a modern diesel car compared to a much simpler ev it's hard to see why manufacturing costs would not come down as take up of ev's improves. That will improve as range improves.
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MarcusT
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by MarcusT »

Cowsham wrote:I predict all that ev stuff will come way down in price -- much lower in fact than ic vehicles cost. If you consider the cost to manufacture and complexity of a modern diesel car compared to a much simpler ev it's hard to see why manufacturing costs would not come down as take up of ev's improves. That will improve as range improves.

Some prices are coming down. The Cube 2021 models have much better components, yet cost minimally more, so as not to lower the price from the previous year.
In 5 years they'll be giving away free ebikes with a fill up
I wish it were as easy as riding a bike
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Cowsham
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Re: Are Electric Bikes Way Overpriced

Post by Cowsham »

MarcusT wrote:
Cowsham wrote:I predict all that ev stuff will come way down in price -- much lower in fact than ic vehicles cost. If you consider the cost to manufacture and complexity of a modern diesel car compared to a much simpler ev it's hard to see why manufacturing costs would not come down as take up of ev's improves. That will improve as range improves.

Some prices are coming down. The Cube 2021 models have much better components, yet cost minimally more, so as not to lower the price from the previous year.
In 5 years they'll be giving away free ebikes with a fill up


I've been in the electronics industry all my life and this is the way it's always been -- the first flat tv's I saw were about 40" IIRC and £4000. Now you can buy a 42" for a 20th of that price and they are many times better.
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