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Gizmos & Gadgets: Taking the eBike Market by Storm

February 3, 2015

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February 3, 2015 – On Indiegogo’s crowdfunding site entrepreneurs abound all hoping that the latest gadget or application they create will get the attention of first adopters. Many fail but every once in awhile people’s imaginations are captured by future Edisons.

This week I learned about the Storm Electric Bike. Named after Storm Sondors, a San Francisco-based inventor, the bike features an easily switchable lithium-ion battery pack, with a range of up to 80 kilometers (50 miles), and rechargeable in 90 minutes. The eBike is no slim-line, light-weight racing cycle. Weighing in at a little over 20 kilograms (45 pounds) it features fat, all terrain tires and a rugged frame. The battery pack lies within a compartment inserted in the frame between the wheels.

On the Indiegogo site, the eBike appears in bright yellow with the tires attached to 74 centimeter (29 inch) orange wheel rims. The look (see image below) is distinctive, a bit campy and avant garde. If Sondors drove by on his you would notice. His forays into Golden Gate Park, astride the eBike, have been traffic stoppers.

Storm eBike

Priced currently at $499 US during the Indiegogo campaign (regularly $1,299), the Storm Electric Bike features an all steel frame, 380-watt motor and top speed of 32 kilometers (20 miles) per hour. It is designed to operate in all terrain from riding on the beach to climbing a mountain trail or just tooling around the neighbourhood. And it comes in a number of colour combinations besides the original show-stopper that Sondors drives (see images below).

Most impressive has been the response on the Indiegogo site. Sondors started his campaign to raise $75,000 US on February 1st. It is now February 3rd and already he has pledges exceeding $1 million with a March 3rd campaign deadline. That’s a crowdfunding triumph.

What does Sondors want to do with the money? Manufacture the eBike in quantity to meet the amazing demand beginning on March 15th with plans to deliver by May 1st.