Clearing the air of any confusion that was caused by a Yahoo! article that questioned their project’s validity, the creators of Indiegogo-success Storm eBike addressed the story and its comments in the latest update.
Storm eBike’s creator, Storm Sondors, stated:
“First of all let me once again tell you how overwhelmed my team and I are by the response to our eBike campaign. We are thrilled to know there is such a vibrant community of folks who want to embrace electric bicycles as a thoughtful, yet fun, alternative way to get around. As part of all of this excitement, we’ve raised a few eyebrows – and that’s good! We want the electric bike industry to grow, flourish, evolve and be a part of the change.
“But let’s clear a few things up. We wanted to let the general public and our fans know that our Storm eBike is not in any way affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or related to the Prodeco Tech Storm 300 or 500 electrical bicycle models. There has never been any plan to confuse these respective bike models. If you are interested in the Prodeco Tech Storm 300 or 500 electric bicycles, please check out Prodeco’s website. Both models received great reviews. To avoid any confusion we are changing the name of our eBike effective immediately.
“This is a hard decision but one we feel is in the best interests of the campaign and our customers. Going forward the bike will be known as the Sondors eBike (my last name). Please note, this will have no impact on the bike or manufacturing/delivery schedule, other than the name that appears on the eBike.
“Over the past week, there have been a few misconceptions of the bike in the media and we would like to clear these up. As noted in the article, the $499 price point was the introductory price. The price of the bike will increase over time (as stated in the first Yahoo article) with a suggested retail price of $1,299. However, throughout the Indiegogo Campaign, the price will be much lower. The goal is to create an affordable eBike for the masses, and we are 100% committed to doing that. Crowdfunding allows us to cut out the middlemen and deliver the eBike directly to you at a fraction of the price.
“As per the comments and notes within the Yahoo article, these were taken directly from competitors of the eBike, which are selling bikes for $1,199+ and $1,295+ as their introductory offers. Our eBike’s main appeal is focused on price and getting the basic features right. Of course we could create a bike that is lighter and has other options that would increase costs but that was not the goal from the start. We wanted to create an alternative mode of transportation that is fun and easy on the wallet by focusing on the essentials.
“Finally, there has been some confusion with bike in the video and the bike on the Indiegogo page. The bike in the video is our prototype, where we tested different components to get the right fit, at the right price. The bike outlined on our page specifically references the eBike you will receive and the model that we will have at our first Demo Day in Santa Monica, CA. this weekend.
“The manufacturing process is scheduled to begin in March with the first shipments set for May. Our facilities have already been notified well in advance of the campaign and are on standby. Currently, we are able to confidently deliver between 12,000-14,000 units in the first manufacturing order. The quantity limitations are due to quality control. Each and every eBike must be tested by someone to ensure all finished products are up to par before shipping. Should the demand increase over the 12,000-14,000 unit range, we will need to schedule a second run of production that delivers in September.
“Finally, to show that there are no gimmicks, ‘smoke and mirrors,’ or uncertainties about the product, we will be showcasing the bike this weekend for fans and customers at our first ever demo day. This gives fans a voice and extends past just the press and media. We have 150+ backers RSVP’d for the eBike demo this weekend in LA and can’t wait to get their thoughts on feedback.
“We hope all of our efforts, name change, etc. clear up any and all confusion about the Sondors eBike. This campaign is about creating an affordable eBike that can hopefully help spark a revolution in the industry by lowering the barriers to entry for all.
“We thank you for all of your support and at the end of the day, we owe the success of this campaign to all of you. Looking forward to creating a new wave of interest and accessibility in the eBike market together, with all of you.”
Meanwhile, Storm eBike continues to be super successful on the crowdfunding giant. Currently the project has raised well over $3.2 million and it is set to close on March 3rd.
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