The 'Carvana of e-bikes' makes finding a reliable rig fast and affordable: 'As soon as you put them online, they're gone'

E-bikes are becoming more and more popular as people see how easy they are to use, how much more enjoyable they make daily rides (and hills), and how they can even replace car trips around town. In fact, last year alone, around 1.7 million electric bikes were imported into the U.S., whereas only 1.3 million new electric cars were sold.

In other words, e-bikes have become sweat-savingly mainstream enough that, nowadays, the main hurdle is less about seeing if an e-bike is worth trying out and more about finding the right e-bike at the right price. 

The average cost of buying an e-bike brand-new isn't cheap — around $2,000 — and that number can click up to over $6,000 for top-of-the-line models. On the other hand, finding a reliable used e-bike on your own can get tricky fast, especially if you don't like meeting strangers in parking lots for Facebook Marketplace buys.

That's why The Cool Down recently chatted with Max Renson. He's the U.S. general manager at Upway, the massive online marketplace for used e-bikes that's often called the "Carvana for e-bikes." The company was founded in France by two former Uber executives in 2021, and it has now expanded into eight countries in Europe, plus the U.S.

Since launching, "we [have been] able to put more than 100,000 riders on lab-certified, secondhand e-bikes at an average discount of around 50%" Renson told The Cool Down. 

That means that instead of shelling out $2,000 on average for a new e-bike, users can get a professionally inspected, serviced, and certified used e-bike for half the cost — and even sometimes up to 60%.

Renson talked about which types of e-bikes Upway specializes in (hint: all of them), the best ways to test out an e-bike before purchasing, and how to get a great deal, no matter where you live.

How to score a great deal with Upway

Renson told us that Upway has e-bikes in pretty much every bike category, from mountain and road bikes to cruisers, commuters, and cargo rigs. Users can search the online marketplace for certified used models from major e-bike brands such as Aventon, Specialized, Cannondale, and Riese & Müller.

To maximize price savings, you can search via sale percentage as well as ways like lowest pricing first. The marketplace also has a toggle feature for bikes that are eligible for state rebate programs.

When you click a specific bike, you can see its ownership history and mechanic's notes, as well as product specifications and sizing. For folks who've found their favorite bike but want to test it out in person, there are two Upway showrooms in the U.S. right now, one in New York City and one in Los Angeles. 

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As for delivery, Renson explained that you can either have your bike delivered to your doorstep or pick it up from one of the two showroom locations.

How to make sure you're getting a certified rig

"We definitely understand that we sell an expensive piece of equipment online — and on top of that, it's secondhand — so we do everything that we can to break [through] that barrier of trust," Renson said. "The way to do that is to bring transparency on repairs."

Renson explained that shoppers can see an inspection report of every e-bike that shows "exactly what has been replaced [and] what has been repaired." 

Each bike also includes a list of aspects, such as any scratches or dents, as well as a history of where it came from, how many miles it has, and how much capacity its battery still holds. That's all thanks to Upway's team of highly knowledgeable mechanics, who are trained in servicing e-bikes specifically.

And if visiting one of Upway's warehouses isn't an option, depending on where users are located, "we have FaceTime calls," Renson explained. "You'll have a support agent show you the bike (or if you are indecisive, show you several bikes) and give you good advice on what bike to purchase." 

Why cargo e-bikes are the hottest new thing

Renson told us that cargo bikes are the fastest-selling e-bike category on the site right now. "As soon as you put them online, they're gone," he said. During the summer, that can be in as little as 12 hours.

Part of the newfound excitement for cargo e-bikes is that they can help replace tedious, "trafficky" car trips. According to the Department of Energy, about 80% of daily car trips are less than 15 miles in length, "which is the sweet spot of an e-bike," Renson explained. With cargo bikes, you can haul pretty much everything, including kiddos. Imagine being able to ditch the stuffy car ride to pick up your kids from school, instead being able to feel the breeze in a cargo bike (and not feel like your quads are dying either). 

Plus, there are huge maintenance and parking costs that an e-bike allows you to skip out on.

What Max is riding

Speaking of cargo e-bikes, Renson said he's currently riding a Riese & Müller cargo e-bike, which has huge storage capacity up front, including for his child (with another one on the way).

"Soon I'm going to have the two of them in the front, [which is] very fun because you can have conversations" while riding, he said.

He got the bike from Upway, of course: "I got it for almost brand-new, and it was 35% off."

Max's advice for someone buying their first e-bike

The rapid rise of e-bikes means there are a lot more options to choose from these days. Renson recommended first-time users test out a few different options to see what they personally like best (e.g., how heavy it is, what's the color scheme is, and whether it's a step-through model). 

Riders can go to a local bike shop for research like this or stop by one of Upway's showrooms if they're near NYC or LA, while the website makes it easy to scan thousands of options and compare detailed information about each. 

Most importantly, Renson recommended going for reliability over flashiness. This is the same logic that applies to a car purchase: Nothing's more frustrating than a non-reliable car when you're commuting, and the same goes for a finicky e-bike when you're ready to rock and roll. Going for an inspected, reliable e-bike is the best way to have fun on every ride.

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