“It’s hard to tell who’s struggling more: the person buying the e-bike or the one trying to sell it.”
That’s pretty much the mood for this holiday season. E-bikes sell the most during the holidays but this year, everything’s off. It wasn’t always like this. Between 2020 and 2022, the story was too good to be true. E-bike sales grew more than 240%, crossing one million units sold in the U.S. by 2022.
In 2023, suddenly, there were over 500 e-bike brands in the U.S., many rebranded imports from China, all fighting on price. Ad costs rose, acquiring customers slowed, and even established names started to fall out. Juiced Bikes filed for bankruptcy. Yamaha and Stromer exited the U.S. market due to oversupply and competition.
But by 2025! Well, the tariffs happened. Import costs climbed close to 45% in just a year. The small-parcel loophole that once let brands ship bikes under $800 duty-free vanished in August.
Even the big players felt it. Giant Bicycles nudged prices up about 7%, Trek followed, and Specialized added a visible “tariff surcharge” at checkout, making it clear that part of the increase wasn’t in their control.
Customers are seeing higher price tags everywhere. Merchants see smaller returns because it’s a retail suicide to absorb them. Everyone is trying to stay balanced while the ground keeps shifting.
Because when everything else keeps getting unpredictable, prices, demand, even delivery costs; the idea of protection starts to feel like the only stable thing left.
Let’s be honest, 2025 hasn’t been kind to anyone trying to fix an e-bike. Would you be ready to pay for a new motor or wait 90+ days for a replacement part, one that now costs more because your supplier shifted production from China to Vietnam or Taiwan?
And even then, there’s no guarantee on what the final price will be, because the current tariffs aren't just raising costs, they are keeping them unstable.
E-bikes already live tough lives. And with the current import mess, repairs have become extreme: a new battery can run between $500 and $1,200, and lithium batteries now being classified as hazardous goods means replacements can’t just be shipped overnight. Add freight, labor, and even a small issue starts to feel big.
That’s why warranties are starting to matter more than ever for everyone on both sides of the sale. When prices keep moving and timelines stretch into months, they become that small cushion between you and uncertainty.
Most businesses are facing the same familiar challenges: thin margins, rising repair costs, and buyers hesitating at checkout because, let’s be honest, an e-bike isn’t a small purchase. It’s a high-ticket item, and people want to know someone will have their back if something goes wrong.
For businesses, it clearly makes sense. Recently when a few well known e-bike stores started offering extended warranty and protection plans, the difference became quite clear. The numbers started to tell their own story:
So, whether you’re selling, buying, or planning to cycle more this season, it’s worth thinking about what keeps that ride going when things don’t go as planned.
Let’s take a closer look at the different kinds of e-bike warranties because, just like every bike rides differently, each issue needs its own kind of coverage.
Not all warranties are built the same: here’s how to know which one’s got your back
Every e-bike starts with a promise, the manufacturer’s warranty. It’s the brand’s way of saying, “We built this right. If something’s faulty from day one, we’ll make it right.”
But unlike a regular bike, an e-bike isn’t just metal and wheels. It’s a mix of mechanical parts, electrical systems and software; which makes that promise both more valuable and more limited at the same time.
In most cases, it covers manufacturing defects- not how you use the bike, but how it was built. Things like:
It just covers protection against mistakes that were made at the factory, not on the road.
Coverage varies because every part of an e-bike lives a different kind of life. A sturdy aluminum frame can last for years without trouble, but a lithium battery starts aging the moment it’s charged.
Everything that happens because real life is messier than a lab. Out on the road, things break, wear out, and get scratched in ways no test can fully predict-
Basically, it’ll fix what they broke, but not anything that you’d expect based on real-life product usage.
When the manufacturer’s warranty runs out, it’s just you, and the repair bill. And if you haven’t experienced it yet- e-bike fixes aren’t cheap. A new battery or motor can easily set you back hundreds of dollars.
So, having protection beyond that initial manufacturer-warranty becomes less of an option and more of a necessity, especially in unpredictable times like these.
Think of it as long-term protection for the parts that wear out with time: batteries that lose charge, motors that slow down, or controllers that suddenly stop responding.
In case you have been an observer of business trends, you’d have seen how 50% of products face at least one failure within the first two years, and the average repair costs around $325, excluding shipping and logistics. For high-value products like e-bikes, that number can climb even higher.
For buyers, it means fewer surprises and a lot less stress when something suddenly stops working. And for sellers, it’s a way to turn breakdowns into moments that actually build trust instead of breaking it.
Because let’s be real, things will go wrong at some point.
Accidents happen. That’s just how life works. The moment you roll out of your driveway, you’re exposed to unexpected bumps, spills, weather, even a stray pet in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s all part of biking.
So, when life happens, accidental warranty absorbs the blame. It turns frustration into reassurance by protecting the rider, the bike, and your brand’s reputation in one go.
Basically, it’s there for all the small accidents that can turn into big repair bills.
We all know how delicate e-bikes are; all those wires, sensors, and batteries can be packed tight like a puzzle.
And once that box leaves the warehouse, well, it’s basically in the wild. Delivery vans hit bumps, packages get stacked, and sometimes “handle with care” turns into “we tried our best.”
Did you know:
That’s why protecting your product before the ride is just as important as protecting it after.
Because when it comes to e-bikes, getting it safely to the door is half the battle won.
To file a claim, the process isn’t as complicated as it sounds. Here’s what to do, step by step.
Whether you’re selling e-bikes or buying one, the right warranty partner makes all the difference, by make things simple for both sides.
For buyers, it’s about trust knowing that if something goes wrong, someone is there to fix it fast.
For sellers, it’s about reliability on handling post-sale issues without draining time, margins, or reputation.
When you’re choosing one, look for:
At SureBright, we make protection feel effortless for everyone involved.
More than 500+ brands and countless customers already trust SureBright to make every warranty experience simple, transparent and fast.
Just say hello, we’re here around the clock.
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