E-bike conference examines the future and sets priorities for growth next year
by Mark Sani on Bicycle Retailer
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Some 60 industry executives, most affiliated with the e-bike industry, took time at a conference Thursday to review its recent successes and to set new goals for 2017.
But influencing legislation, building a sound research base, developing policy, securing grants, mapping routes and a dozen other goals takes money.
And that’s the first message Larry Pizzi, chairman of the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association’s e-bike committee, delivered to attendees Thursday in a conference room adjacent to Interbike’s offices. Interbike hosted the one-day meeting.
BPSA members dug deep in what Pizzi noted had been a tough year, committing $289,500 to the effort — an amount just shy of the $300,000 needed to earn a $100,000 bonus grant from the BPSA’s general budget. But Pizzi said he expects to hit that $300,000 goal soon. “This category is turning into a huge opportunity in North America,” he said.
E-bikes have saved the bicycle industry in Europe, Pizzi added.
And hitting that $300,000 goal got a boost when Ed Benjamin, the North American representative for Bafang Motor Technology, a Chinese company, announced that Bafang would kick in $10,000 to support the industry’s efforts. Benjamin, also a senior managing director at eCycleElectric, said Bafang has offices near Shanghai and an official there called him at 4 a.m. Thursday morning with the news.
The BPSA’s e-bike committee makes recommendations on how funds are spent and the BPSA board approves the expenditures. “I’m very optimistic about what will happen in 2017,” Pizzi said.
The conference, a joint program between PeopleForBikes and the BPSA, noted some key legislative gains in three states: Utah and Tennessee adopted an e-bike classification system, while North Carolina legalized e-bikes in accord with the federal definition for powered bicycles…
Not liked by all, they are great way to allow not so strong folks to replace their cars, haul lots of heavy thinks, which is what I use it for when delivering bags of flour, etc. from our store. One more e-bike on the road is one less car on the road.