October 28, 2021 - The global cycling industry is being courted by the world’s leading Consumer Electronics Show (CES), with the announcement of an eMobility Experience at the upcoming CES event January 5-8, 2022 in Las Vegas.

This summer, Eurobike, the world’s leading bicycle trade show, announced it will move to Frankfurt in 2022, which some suggest was a direct response to the International Automobil Ausstellung (IAA) that moved its industry show from Frankfurt to Munich, and recently debuted a new IAA Mobility event that included a small segment of cycling companies.

With no major cycling trade show in the USA since the demise of Interbike in 2017, the organizers of CES hope to fill that void by partnering with Electric Bike Events to stage a new eMobility Experience, offering an e-bike and e-scooter test track opportunity along with educational seminars, programs and workshops.

Bill Sell, who operates Electric Bike Events, is the eMobility Experience Program Manager. Recently, eBikes International caught up with him for an inside look at the new project which, according to Sell, “could be a great solution for the cycling industry.”

Electric Bike Events is experienced at organizing e-bike demos and test tracks. What’s your vision for CES and the new eMobility Experience?
Bill Sell: We’ve been staging demos and test track events since 2015 and our programs are experiential — getting people on e-bikes to actually test ride and see how they work. Over 25,000 people have experienced our test tracks with many riding e-bikes for the first time. Our fenced-in tracks are more realistic at over 1,400 feet in length (about 430 metres) than say a bike shop where you might have access to a small parking lot. With us, you can test gears, bike motor settings, and compare with the motor off. CES, as the leading technology event in the USA, is an ideal venue for this type of program given the emerging tech specialties in the fitness and automotive/transportation sectors — just two of many at the show — that blend well with e-bikes, creating an all- encompassing eMobility Experience.

The e-bike segment seems a natural extension for the CES event as suppliers are focused on connectivity, but what about IBDs? Are they a target group for test rides?
Sell: I would love to have IBDs taking part. January is a quieter time for many dealers in the USA. They can visit here to test ride dozens of bikes, and even place orders for the coming season. The IBD is not a regular visitor to CES, so we are careful not to over-promise IBD attendees to our exhibitors. There is a very strong global media presence at CES along with the venture capital community. Everyone is a potential e-bike rider, so any of the 100,000+ visitors to CES could be prospective customers.

With e-bikes picking up globally, including in the USA, is there more acceptance from IBDs as traditional MTB riders seem less enthusiastic about e-bikes?
Sell: The eMTB segment continues to grow rapidly with many new models from companies across the globe. The challenges on restricted land and trails continue; in many cases, it stems from people not understanding the Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 designations for e-bikes. There are e-motorcycles/mopeds that look similar to bicycles, but they are outside the e-bike Class system and can damage trails. Most traditional e-bikes are similar to regular bicycles and do not impact trails. More education is definitely needed, and having traditional mountain-bike riders at CES to test eMTBs is one such opportunity. We have a 90-foot (30-metre) long e-mountain-bike hill to showcase the motor capabilities to this audience.

Companies like Rad Power Bikes as well as start-ups show that consumer-direct e-bike sales are successful. What role will traditional US IBDs play in this market?
Sell: During the pandemic, when most retail shops were closed or restricted, direct-to-consumer players definitely increased in popularity across all segments. But there’s a role for both channels, as most consumers prefer dealing with shops for assembly, tuning, etc. IBDs will see incremental business from new customers via e-bikes. Also, they can play a maintenance and repair role in the emerging bike share market which is also growing fast in cities everywhere. Another popular segment is e-scooters, along with e-cargo bikes where local IBDs can get involved with maintenance, charging, repairs, etc. Many businesses are turning to eco-friendly deliveries, as we’re not expecting people who re-stock vegetables to now also handle e-cargo bike repairs. Of course, IBDs need to be open to these new channels of business.

Major brands like Trek, Specialized, etc. offer a full range of e-bikes but also have their own retail outlets. Are IBDs in the USA participating in the e-bike boom?
Sell: The big brands are widespread with IBDs as well. As e-bikes continue to become popular, we’re seeing the emergence of many new brands, as well as creating more opportunities for IBDs who need to be open to working with new and perhaps unproven brands. There are several key factors when carrying a range of products, like the size of the shop and the associated costs. It comes back to educating IBDs on new products and options in the marketplace, which is harder to manage during a pandemic, especially given that there are very few trade shows in the USA. I see e-bikes creating opportunities for IBDs as long as they expand their offerings and include both repair/maintenance of e-bikes along with training on how to use them. And don’t forget that accessories are also purchased by e-bikers.

How will you convince IBDs to come for test rides at eMobility Experience in Las Vegas?
Sell: We will invite them and also have a block of free guest tickets for IBDs to come and join us. They can also visit the rest of CES, but the eMobility Experience is outside, so even people who may be nervous of crowds can contact me for tickets. We’ll also have three days of great workshops and seminars on e-cargo bikes, bike sharing and tech innovations — we hope some IBDs will join us for these as well.

The IBDs are one segment, but are you also thinking that people in the IT market may be interested in e-bikes to open a store as some IT players have gotten involved.
Sell: One of the most successful e-bike retail store chains, Pedego, has this philosophy and is growing very rapidly. E-bikes present a different kind of product; if a traditional acoustic bike dealer doesn’t wish to expand into ‘e’ this will create opportunities for new businesses. It’s a very entrepreneurial sector, and I would not be surprised to have visitors to the eMobility Experience come away with the idea they can start a retail shop for e-bikes and e-mobility products.

The show’s name Consumer Electronic Show suggests CES is also for consumers — are they not allowed to visit your new eMobility Experience for testing?
Sell: CES is a trade event that focuses on consumer electronics. It is not a consumer shopping mall for electronics. This event has hundreds of prototypes and new-to-market products for companies to see and place orders for the coming year. The products at CES are targeting the eventual consumer market as opposed to large businesses and enterprises — there are different events for enterprise technology.

With an eye on international e-bike exhibitors, what are the costs and benefits for companies to exhibit at the first eMobility Experience at CES?
Sell: We are a one-stop opportunity and can make participating at the largest trade show in the USA very easy for international exhibitors. Turn-key booth packages make this possible so the brands can simply bring their e-bikes or e-scooters, set up, and walk in on the first day ready to meet visitors. Raw space is priced at $4,600 US for 9 square metres. For a small pop-up tent with table and chairs, it’s an additional $750 US for that package. For a more established look with two full display walls, table, chairs and electricity, the additional package runs $1,750 US. A very important aspect is that our program has no material handling costs associated with displays. Here you drive up, unload your small tent and bicycles, walk them in and set it up yourself with no added surcharge. For international exhibitors, this is a significant cost savings. Our team will help them get everything together. We can also receive bicycles shipped from outside the USA in the weeks before the event — just ask us.

What role will media play in the eMobility Experience debut at CES, “the most influential tech show in the world”?
Sell: A total of 5,500 global media took part in the virtual CES in 2021 — there were 6,800 in 2020. The global media is a very important part of CES, and the media loves experiential programs where they cannot only see, but also try products out. We are setting up a 90-square metre media tent to enable in-person interviews with video crews. Bloggers and podcasters will have a home at the eMobility Experience, and our team will be helping make appointments for the exhibitors. If you’re a brand manager that’s looking to meet dozens of members of the media, you can travel to a number of different events, or join us for four days in January and have them find you.

Looking at the show dates, do you think that overseas visitors and exhibitors will be keen to travel such a long distance right after New Year’s celebrations?
Sell: New Year’s Eve is on a Friday and the event opens the following Wednesday (Jan. 5) morning. People can celebrate with family and friends, recover for a couple of days, and then depart on Monday, or even Tuesday morning. They can do this from just about anywhere in the world to get to Las Vegas. We will be there early, making sure the test track is ready for everyone.

For more information on the eMobility Experience visit here.