Flywheel | May 22, 2022

Featuring the top 5 used vehicles of the week and exploring the best selling ebike model in used micromobility

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Welcome to Flywheel, a weekly exploration of the used side of owned micromobility. Each newsletter will highlight five of the most interesting used vehicles being sold in the market followed by an observation of trends emerging in the industry.

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This week’s features are a scrambler, a cruiser, two folding ebikes, and a (heavily) modified long-tail cargo bike. The observation of the week explores the best selling ebike model in used micromobility.

Top 5 Vehicles of the Week

The Super73 Z1 is a class-2 scrambler/mini-bike style ebike and Super73’s entry level model designed to give fans of the brand an accessible and affordable option. The Z1’s powertrain features a 500W rear hub motor a 418Wh on a single speed suspension. Selling at an MSRP that’s a $1K or more cheaper than its other models, the Z1 is understandably bare compared to its sister vehicles. There is no pedal assist (pedals are entirely disconnected from the motor so most riders really only use the throttle), the range is paltry (15 miles of effective range), and the motor has a much lower wattage than other Super 73s. The Z1 doesn’t even have many of the basic accessories like integrated lighting, horn, kickstand, or fenders that have become commonplace on ebikes. The real appeal of this vehicle is is getting a taste of Super73’s iconic design and riding style at a fraction of the cost. Listing can be found here.

The Electric Bike Co Model Y is a class-3 beach-style cruiser that’s frequently been rated as the best cruiser ebike by Electric Bike Review. Although technically advertised as a women’s bike, its design features and customization options make it an excellent cruiser for all types of riders. The Model Y’s powertrain features a 500W rear-hub motor with a 504Wh battery, and the vehicle’s firmware allows riders to limit top speeds and use the vehicle as a class-2 or class-3 ebike. Electric Bike Co manufactures all its ebikes in the US and actually allows its customers to customize an endless number of features on the ebike, everything from the paint color to wheel size to battery pack size. This specific listing used to be a demo bike for a bike shop, so it has less than 45 miles of usage. Proof of purchase and access to the anti-theft alarm system is also included. Listing can be found here.

The JupiterBike Discovery X7 is a class-2 folding ebike. What makes this vehicle stand-out is its lightweight magnesium alloy frame, which makes the X7 look cleaner and ride sturdier than most of its competitors in this price range. Even the wheels are cast magnesium as opposed to wire spokes (ensuring that wheel alignment is rarely a concern), and the rear adjustable bumper suspension is an excellent feature uncommon amongst folding bikes. That being said, this vehicle has a weak powertrain (350W motor and 280Wh battery pack), giving riders a low max speed of 16mph and a short estimated range of 30 miles. In this price range, the Lectric XP 2.0 or Rad Power’s RadMini are more compelling options. This listing is lightly used (ridden only four times) and comes with a brand new battery that is less than a month old. Listing can be found here.

Speaking of car replacements, this listing is one that perhaps takes the concept a bit too seriously. Built on top of the ever-popular Yuba Mundo (longtail pedal cargo bike), this listing’s powertrain uses old Nissan leaf batteries that are modified to run at an operating voltage of 72V-84V and paired with a 100A controller. This gives riders 45-60 miles of range at a max speed of 45mph. The bike was built in 2014 and has 12,500 miles of usage. While not the safest option by any means, and certainly not a street-legal/certified ebike, this vehicle is a fascinating case study on how robust bikes can be and how receptive they can be to all sorts of componentry in the hands of a sufficiently creative builder. Listing can be found here.

The Lectric XP 1.0 is a folding, fat-tire class-2/3 ebike and Lectric’s first product that sealed their position as the leader in under $1K ebikes. Featuring a 500W rear-hub motor and a 500Wh battery pack, the XP 1.0 stands out from its other under $1K competitors due to its significantly higher quality battery cells and motor. The motor controller allows riders to throttle max speed to use the vehicle in class-2 or class-3 mode, and there’s even a walk mode that assists riders when pushing the ebike by hand. This specific listing was owned for 2 years and has 980 miles of usage. Listing can be found here.

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Observation of the Week

Lectric XP 2.0: The best selling ebike model in used micromobility

Lectric’s XP 2.0 is the best selling ebike model in used micromobility, and it’s not hard to see why. Selling at an MSRP of $999, the XP 2.0 is remarkably affordable while still being extremely high quality. It’s also a class-2/3 ebike, and most class 2/3 ebikes are typically in the $2,000+ range. As a cheap and reliable ebike that conveniently also folds, the XP 2.0 is a common starter vehicle for people buying ebikes for the first time, and thereby also a common vehicle to sell in the used market when riders upgrade to higher grade vehicles.

The average resale price of a used XP 2.0 across the four largest micromobility markets is $824.19. The fact that the average used price is only ~$175 less than the MSRP suggests that the XP 2.0 has a low depreciation as compared to most other vehicles that often sell for at least $500 less in the used market. There’s also an interesting difference in average pricing when looking at each market individually.

Not surprisingly, NYC has the lowest average resale price, more than $100 less than the most expensive market Seattle.

That’s it for this week. Thanks again for joining, see you next Sunday!

- Puneeth Meruva

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