Trip Report: Touring the NEW ProdecoTech US Electric Bike Assembly Facility [VIDEO]
Can you imagine electric bikes being assembled by hand in the USA?
Well that is the reality at the 60,000 square foot ProdecoTech electric bikes assembly facility near Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
All ProdecoTech electric bikes are assembled at this new facility. The frames and parts mainly come from China or Taiwan, but the assembly, fine tuning, boxing, and shipping happens at the ProdecoTech facility near Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA.
ProdecoTech currently employs 40+ people at the facility with plans to hire many more.
Assembly in the USA is very unique in the bicycle industry for a company of this size, let alone unique for a lot of physical product industries.
I visited ProdecoTech late last year and I had a chance to tour their old facility that was spread out among 3 different buildings.
My visit to this new facility represented a night and day difference between the old and new facility. This new facility is a very significant upgrade for this fast growing and quickly evolving US electric bike company. It is well thought out, very organized, clean, bright, and modern.
This is just part of the e-bike assembly area but it will give you an idea of how new and modern the ProdecoTech facility is.
Robert Provost (CEO), Daniel Del Aguila (co-owner), and Jim Aversa (co-owner) are the heads of state at ProdecoTech. They have a vision of ProdecoTech becoming one of the top electric bike brands in the US and potentially beyond. Here is a little more about them and the Prodeco story.
Robert Provost believes that with this new facility and the additional work force that they will be bringing on soon, they will soon catch up with the high demand they have from their dealers. The plan is to catch up with the demand and then create a certain level of inventory so that they can quickly ship bikes to dealers. Supply of the bikes to dealers in the past has been an issue for ProdecoTech but with this new facility and workforce they hope to eliminate that issue.
This new facility will be close to assembling 64 bikes per day within the next month or so, then 128 bikes by sometime next year, and the goal of 192 bikes per day is planned for late 2014. That’s a lot of e-bikes!
In addition, the building that ProdecoTech is in has significant room for expansion of the assembly and warehouse areas when they need it.
So with that, let me give you a virtual tour of what the new ProdecoTech assembly facility is like.
First of all, this a video tour of the new facility with Robert Provost and a number of ProdecoTech employees.
Patricia welcomes visitors with her warm smile at the main entrance to the new facility. A few of the ProdecoTech electric bikes are on display for visitors to checkout.
And this is the entrance to the main assembly area. The flag of the United States of America is proudly displayed to remind everyone what a unique business ProdecoTech is.
This is the wheel assembly area. ProdecoTech uses Holland wheel building machines to build the wheels “in house”. They will be adding another machine soon to increase the wheel building production.
The wheels are laced up at the first stage of the wheel building process. It is impressive to see the machine in action!
Then the wheel is sent to the tensioner/truing machine via the rail system shown.
This is the wheel tensioner/truing machine where a wheel truly becomes a wheel. As you can see, this is a very sophisticated piece of machinery.
The wheels go through a hand quality check process after they have been through the machines.
After the wheels are assembled they have tires, tubes, cogs, and disc brakes rotors installed. They are then placed on racks; ready for installation on a bike.
Similar to the wheel building, there is a sub assembly station for the handlebar/stem components. This is a rack of handlebar/stem sets ready for installation on bikes.
This is the assembly of the chainrings on cranks in preparation for installation on bikes.
A line of Phantom O frames and forks in the work stands. At this point, the sub assemblies (wheels, handlebars, etc.) are added to the frames to make it a complete e-bike.
Here is a line of Outlaw SE’s in the process of being assembled into full fledged e-bikes.
After the bikes have been assembled they go to a quality check and adjustment line. Each bike is doubled checked in preparation for delivery to the customer.
Once the bikes are double checked, they go to the boxing area. A lot of protective packaging is added to the bikes before they are fully boxed.
ProdecoTech takes proper labeling of their electric bikes seriously and they work closely with their shippers to make sure everyone is aware that the bikes have lithium batteries.
That’s a wrap! The shipping area gets the bikes ready for delivery to the ProdecoTech dealers.
ProdecoTech stocks over 3 million parts in their on site warehouse for bike assembly in addition to having a healthy stock of parts for any warranty issues.
ProdecoTech believes in doing as much as they can in the US. One of their very significant business partners is SRAM. SRAM is a US company (parts are made in China and Taiwan) and they have have selected ProdecoTech to be their battery service center for their E-Matic e-bike kit. SRAM has sent their technical team to ProdecoTech to provide training on SRAM products.
With all of the improvements with the new facility, ProdecoTech decided it was time to improve their software system to provide better customer and dealer support. Carlos Duboc, who used to work for Microsoft, is now head of IT and he is really making things happen.
The new software system at ProdecoTech has been set up to track each bike with a “birth certificate” system. Each bike is given a master serial number which also has the frame, motor, and battery serial numbers associated with it. As the bike goes through the different stages of assembly, quality check, packaging, and shipping, it is tracked and recorded on the master serial number. Once a customer buys and registers a ProdecoTech bike their contact information will be associated with the records of that bike.
Carlos Duboc shows off the new ProdecoTech master serial number e-bike tracking system.
The large database of all of the bikes is being created so that information about a specific bike can be accessed in minutes or seconds when a customer or dealer calls ProdecoTech with a question. Dealers will have a certain level of access to this database via a ProdecoTech website. Dealers will also have access to information on when their orders will be delivered.
Speaking of technology, the warranty/service department is now using web cameras to show dealers and/or customers how to fix and adjust parts on their bikes. According to Louis in the service department, the web cameras have greatly improved helping dealers and customers fix their bikes quickly.
This is the warranty service department at ProdecoTech.
ProdecoTech believes in treating their employees right. They provide incentives for high quality work that exceeds production expectations. Employees at ProdecoTech are treated to a free breakfast every day and a free lunch once a month. Health insurance is part of their compensation. Since ProdecoTech is growing quickly, there are a lot of opportunities for employees to earn promotions by proving they are hard working and responsible leaders.
The new facility has a large employee break area that includes 3 computers that employees can use to check email and/or surf the web.
Employees have lockers for storing their personal items.
Quite a few employees ride their ProdecoTech e-bikes to work. Bikes are offered to employees at a significant discount. In the future there are plans to put in an e-bike sharing program at the ProdecoTech facility.
Here is a custom Outlaw SE decked out with some whitewall tires. Classy!
ProdecoTech is working with a Broward County program called Workforce 1. Through the program, unemployed workers are offered the opportunity to become an electric bike assembly technician and get a certificate of completion. After completion of the training some of the technicians are hired to work for ProdecoTech. Technicians that complete the course can also apply for jobs at local bike shops if they choose.
I had a chance to meet a number of people who work for ProdecoTech and they all appear to be proud to be working for a company that is an electric bike company assembling the bikes in the Fort Lauderdale area. There is definitely a lot of camaraderie among the folks at at ProdecoTech and they also like to have fun giving each other a hard time!
Overall it was great to visit the ProdecoTech facility and see electric bikes being assembled in the USA. There is a great group of people who work at ProdecoTech and they all seem to take pride in what they are doing. The new assembly facility is very impressive and it will be exciting to see what the future holds for this innovative company.
Stay tuned! While I was touring the new ProdecoTech facility I had a chance to checkout some of the new prototype bikes that will become production bikes for 2014.
Here are a few teaser pictures of some of the new e-bikes:
This is the prototype Phantom X3.
And a prototype of the Oasis beach cruiser e-bike.
More info on the new ProdecoTech bikes soon in an upcoming post!
Bonus! Since I was in the Fort Lauderdale area, I wanted to visit one of the local electric bikes stores. It fact, I visited The Electric Bicycle Store! Mark and Scott are the owners and they have operated 2 of their electric bike stores: one in Fort Lauderdale and and one in the South Beach Miami area for the past 5+ years.
They are definitely experienced in the e-bike industry and they continue to bring a wide variety of e-bike brands (including ProdecoTech) to the people of south Florida. The Electric Bicycle Store has a cool display of some classic e-bikes as well as different types of motors and batteries so that customers can see the different e-bike components.
Mark and Scott are the owners of The Electric Bicycle Store that carries a wide variety of electric bikes, including ProdecoTech.
Stay tuned for the next post about some of the new ProdecoTech e-bikes!
P.S. Don’t forget to join the Electric Bike Report community for updates from the electric bike world, plus ebike riding and maintenance tips!
Reader Interactions
Comments
Trackbacks
-
[…] I visited the new ProdecoTech electric bike assembly facility near Fort Lauderdale, Florida I had a chance to see and test ride some of their new prototype bikes […]
-
[…] “..This new facility is a very significant upgrade for this fast growing and quickly evolving US electric bike company…” Read Entire Article→ […]
-
[…] bikes are assembled in the USA at their facility near Fort Lauderdale Florida. Here is my report from a tour of the new ProdecoTech facility with a bunch of pictures and a […]
-
[…] is my trip report after touring the new ProdecoTech assembly facility with a video and a bunch of […]
-
[…] we took a look at the parts purchases of companies that assemble ebikes in the USA, from parts mostly imported from China. That group includes some companies that sell complete […]
-
[…] ProdecoTech is now shipping their new Scorpion series electric bikes with frames constructed in the USA! And all of their bikes are assembled in the USA. […]
-
[…] One of the unique features of all ProdecoTech electric bikes is that they are assembled in their Ft. Lauderdale assembly facility. […]
-
[…] here is a full report from when I visited their headquarters a few years […]
-
[…] And like all ProdecoTech bikes the Rebel X9 is assembled at their facility near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. […]
-
[…] And like all ProdecoTech bikes the Phantom XR is assembled at their facility near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. […]
-
[…] And like all ProdecoTech bikes the Phantom XR is assembled at their facility near Fort Lauderdale, Florida! […]
-
[…] Life EV eBMX is assembled at the ProdecoTech facility near Ft. Lauderdale […]
-
[…] EV has a partnership with ProdecoTech to build the eBMX at their assembly facility near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. James Aversa founded Life EV and he has been headed of R&D at ProdecoTech for the past 6 […]
-
[…] located near Miami Florida and they assemble their bikes at their headquarters. Here is a report from my visit to Prodeco Tech. Prodeco Tech offers a few low cost e-bikes as well as a wide range of mid to high end […]
Hi, I have a Prodeco bike. The company has many flaws. They have a battery holder mounted above the rear wheel that comes off on MINOR bumps. It has broke many times and they only need a bigger screw but they use cheap ones. They will not be thorough in making sure you are happy with you support. You have to ask them 3-6 times to get what you are entitled to for your warranty.
Good luck!
Matt, are you sure you are a customer? I just researched all registrations and you are not listed as a purchaser. If contacting our warranty department, you would have to be registered and you are not. Perhaps a competitor??? We sometimes notice more competitor’s leaving comments rather than customers.
An additional quick reply to Matt Nard’s comment. Where I researched our entire registered database, this person cannot be found. I will comment on the battery however. He may have heard of an issue with someone and why mentioning.
The 2012 model bikes used a different form of ABS plastic for the battery shells versus the current bikes. We did experience about a 2-3% issue with riders who were a little adventurous with the bike. It could have been if the bike went down on its side or jumping a curve and impacting where the ABS could have cracked. Since the fall of 2012 and all 2013 bikes, we have increased the thickness of the ABS shells by 100%. We also changed the composite of the ABS to be less brittle and more flexible. The results have been amazing and the experience of a facture whether dropping the bike or not has been reduced to 1/10th of 1% of bikes built and sold. It would take a decent amount of force to do so. We have also added for 2013, all 18/8 stainless steel hardware including eyebolts on the adjustable cromoly struts which reinforce the battery mount. There are no “cheap” bolts as Matt may have suggested.
The only downside to the changes have been an increased tightness when installing the batteries. Many riders love it with the good side being, no rattles whatsoever. The battery fits firm and will not loosen over the life of the bike.
From time to time we do experience negative comments. A good size portion are from a select few competitors in the industry and we realize it goes with the turf. We are big boys and can handle it. We are the only ebike company of our size building bikes in the USA and of course there will be back lash. Articles such as these push buttons. While some people will appreciate the USA jobs we offer and embrace a company such as ours, others will have different feelings.
Our customer service department strives to offer the best service. It was important to the ProdecoTech team, that besides offering one of the highest quality line of ebikes, we also offer one of the best customer service experiences. Our warranty is an industry best 2 years and there are many honest reviews out that will attest to this. I hope some of the customers do come on here and comment. If for any reason a customer had a bad experience with our service department, it would be a rarity. From time to time I do hear from customers but usually with a positive comment. They understand what we are trying to do for the ebike industry in the USA. If the message is ever negative, I will do everything possible to make it right. Our company will only grow from giving each and every customer the best experience when purchasing one our bikes and nobody understands that better than our team.
Robert Provost
CEO
ProdecoTech
Dear Mr. Provost,
May I be forward and call you Robert?
I am *not yet* a customer. When you release the Oasis Beach, that will change 😉
You Know E-bikes. I just ride them (had 2 e-bikes I bought from Dodge car showrooms +/- 15 years ago).
I use Pete’s website as my ‘go-to’ guy now.
I am comfortable you are experiencing paid negative submissions. (I teach numerous aspects of computer security).
Yeah man, sorry. It comes with being a leader. 🙁
I have been ‘lurking’ your firm for a long time.
I will be a customer/advocate when you release the Oasis.
Regarding not being exactly ‘Internet Savvy’. I will assist, no charge. If you can find someone else still alive that can wave around their ’80-card’ (or programming manual) from the mid 60’s, I withdraw the offer.
I get Microsoft stuff (I’ve been an MCSE for 15 years), And Apple and Linux and Security.
My current client list is hidden, and impressive. My heart beats as a SE Asia Army vet to see (of all places!) FLA showing how to do it.
Again Robert (Mr. Provost) if I am being to familiar, it would be an honor to contribute my expertise and name to you efforts (within reason) at no charge to your grand effort.
May I suggest I give you (again) no charge, how to setup “Desktop TV Station”. Your new factory seems well suited to this.
Regards,
Tcat Houser
Robert,
Thanks for responding to the negative remarks. It was good to hear you are jealous of your company’s reputation. I have been seriously considering a Mariner 7 and not living near a dealer, the concern is that your build quality is such that I won’t have an after purchase issue that won’t be addressed. That concern is now greatly reduced.
Dear Tcat,
I agree, I do believe there are some out there who purposely try to hurt our reputation for multiple reasons. Quality, Price, USA and dealer exclusives. I try my best to put time aside and defend the company but there are usually more of them than me.
Please contact me and we can discuss.
Thanks, Rob
Once again i have to compliment Prodeco Technology.” How anyone can compare “ANY” of Prodeco Electric Bikes, with any other is a surprise to me. I have 2 (two) & i could not be any happier. It is obvious that the negative comments are from those trying to badger the Prodeco reputation. The technology & design is future wise & reliable. Any problems & Prodeco Technology is right there for you. I am proof. A great company, with great bikes & fantastic employees. I have been with Prodeco, (a customer) since X2.
I bought a Prodeco bike in April 2012. Recently I snapped the kickstand plate off the frame and Prodeco sent me an entirely new frame at no charge. They also included the new struts (which are waaay better than the old ones). All I can say is my experience with their service (on more than this one occasion) has been fantastic, unlike the poster above. My only regret is I can’t afford to buy a newer model =)
Prodeco looks to be the leader in the ebike industry so far beating out Pedego and Currie.
I do question Prodeco’s online reviews on amazon and ebay. Im an ecommerce expert and people in the ebike industry have been saying they pay for online reviews, which I think is a genius idea if you want to hide some of the negative reviews.
I also question Prodeco’s 2 year battery warranty. Seems too generous. What do they do with defective battery packs? Ship them back to China?
James Scott, I can 100% assure you we have never paid for a review, left a comment or feedback ourselves other than when I write on forums but always state it is me. Nobody in our company is allowed to write a false review on our bikes or competitors and they would be immediately dismissed. We are as honest as it gets.
The only people who are stating such claims are probably competitors or disgruntled purchasers of another company’s bike. Last year there was a big delay to purchase one of our bikes and many backorders. The competitors jumped on this and customers purchased another brand bike instead of waiting. They were frustrated and started making it known.
Amazon and our reviews. Amazon does not require a person to have purchased the bike to leave a review/comment. It allows companies to practice shady tactics of leaving false positive reviews on their products and false negative reviews on competitor’s similar products. This has been going on for years and we actually caught 2 competitors red handed. I can also promise we have never done this ourselves but the good news is, there is a way to tell if the review is real or not.
How to know if the review is real. Amazon states “Amazon Verified Purchase” at the top of the review under the writer’s name if the buyer is real and purchased from Amazon directly. The majority of our reviews are actually true buyers of the bikes and “verified”. The negative reviews we have are usually from someone that did not buy the bike and most of the times a competitor and not “verified”. I do know some people who leave reviews on Amazon may have purchased from another retailer but when “verified” you can be assured the review was an Amazon true buyer.
In regards to ebay, we did investigate the reviews and learned you can only leave a review and feedback if the person is an actually buyer. There is no way to leave a review otherwise and you must be the buyer. We have an exclusive arrangement with 2 local dealers for ebay and they both have 5 star ratings exclusively selling our bikes.
We are the first to state we are not that internet savvy and instead of spending resources on adwords or redirecting to other review sites, we focus on building the best electric bikes. Our motto has always been, build the absolute best electric bike for the value and the customers will find us. We spend all our resources on developing and building the best electric bikes.
Our team does realize we upset some competitors or others who may not understanding how we do it. The big reason is no middle channel or outside manufacturer to build for us and that our overhead is ½ of a similar size company. That is the main reason we can offer the bikes 30% less than comparable bikes. Why the popularity besides price? The designs were developed for what the public wanted, we additionally researched every single component of an electric bike down to the last bolt, bearing and connector. If we could not source the correct component, we developed it ourselves. It is that plain and simple. Our revenue is invested back into the bikes versus marketing and commissions and our dedicated team of builders pours their heart and soul into each and every bike we build.
Regarding the battery warranty, it is 100% 2 years. The cells are automotive grade Prismatic Lithium Phosphate cells which are developed to last 7 years (2000 cycles). They are one of the highest quality cells available and we have batteries now out there running 3 years solid. The cells are arranged in 2 or 3 banks of 12 to 16 cells per bank, depending on the battery. If a battery distance shortens, it can be a bank which may need to be replaced. We can also replace the battery management board with little effort and do so when required. In the last 2 years, we have a minimum failure rate of the cells themselves. It is no more than 1 out of a 500 batteries where the actual cells went bad and could not be repaired. The management board has a higher rate of about 1 out of 120 batteries in the first year. A management board issue will usually stem from a short circuit outside the battery which causes the management board to sacrifice itself versus the cells. The ABS battery case use to have a higher rate of warranty replacement but with the 2013 models, it is rare. When replacing or repairing a battery, if it cannot be repaired, it is recycled in the USA. There are elements in the battery of value.
I must apologize for my long comments but I want to make sure I leave nothing out. We are very excited about the USA electric bike industry. Electric bike transportation in the USA will gain ground every year and we will be there every step of the way.
Robert Provost
CEO
ProdecoTech
I hope Prodeco gets their act together. Nice guys but horrible dealer and customer support. Their partners who own THE ELECTRIC BICYCLE STORE “Mark & Scott” have many of their customers come to us for service after they lose confidence and are at a loss for help.
I highly doubt prodeco is the ebike industry leader. Those pics could all be a show for the camera.
do the batteries have memory or something like that that will affect it?
George, the batteries do not have memory effect but more important for ebikes, there is the “heat” effect. The most important component of an electric bicycle is the battery cell. The cells in our batteries are “Lithium Iron Phosphate Prismatic Cells” (LiFePO4) grouped in bundles of 12 to 36 cells. You may want to do some research on the battery chemistry. You will come to find out LiFePO4 is one of the most stable lithium battery chemistries in the world with the big plus being no heat effect. Lithium batteries deteriorate from heat and LiFePO4 has no heat consequences.
More and more ebike companies are starting to use LiFePO4 cells. Some manufacturers offer both versions for the same model bike. The only downside to LiFePO4 is the increased costs and the higher density of the cells. They tend to be the most expensive battery cell forms to use per Watt Hour but we believe worth it. In year 3 of ownership, the buyer will be very happy they chose this type of battery chemistry. LiFePO4 cells are the only reason we can offer the 2 year battery warranty.
Thanks for giving us a tour. I really enjoy this website for all the information it provides to consumers. I only bought my Prodeco Outlaw SS after watching a review on this site and viewing a Youtube video tour of Prodeco’s last warehouse (I felt a bit more comfortable with my purchase after viewing them).
I’m not sure if people are leaving false reviews or not, but if all PRODECO employees handled customer service issues like Robert Provost does on this site – more customers would be happier.
My issues ranged from very slow order fulfillment to no return calls after emailing for warranty (one of the guys in the video never called me back when requested). I hope things really have improved with customer service though.
I’ve owned since June and I enjoy my bike and would like to see how it holds up a bit longer before I buy another. Some of the options coming up from Prodeco look very interesting!
The custom Outlaw looks great.
I STILL HAVEN”T FOUND A STABLE KICKSTAND FOR MY OUTLAW SS!!
I am registered owner.
I bought this for my Stride because it tipped when fully loaded with groceries; it’s a beast but it does not ever fall over! You can sometimes find online coupons as well.
http://www.imaginegear.com/p-772-ursus-alloy-jumbo-double-leg-kickstand-black.aspx
Thanks for the suggestion!
^ another paid review?? lol
Nope, but you are funny. I can send you a picture of my bike with me on it if you like. I retired and bought one so I wouldn’t use my car and spend $ on gas. BTW, I thought you couldn’t post reviews on Ebay unless you bought the item. And Amazon does have the verified purchaser thing now, so you can discount reviews without that indicator.
I’d like to hear from other dealers that have worked with Prodeco. People who have real experience. Not THE ELECTRIC BICYCLE STORE (who are biased investors and partners with Prodeco) but dealers who have actually sold and “had to service” Prodeco bikes. Dealers that had to rely on spare parts from Prodeco to service their customers.
We work with the major electric bike suppliers in the United States for many years and NEVER had any problems like then ones we had with Prodeco. NEVER. That’s the bottom line. The ELECTRIC BICYCLE STORE sells products to consumers and then those consumers come to our stores for service but we no longer carry Prodeco for the “ONE REASON ONLY” … they were unable to provide spare parts and dealer support in a professional manner. I hope they get their act together. They are nice people.
The Electric Bicycle Store is the exclusive dealer for ProdecoTech bikes in Southern Broward County and South Beach Miami. They have no involvement in ProdecoTech other than being an authorized dealer. ProdecoTech is one of 11 or so brands they offer.
It is a shame a great story about an American company succeeding beyond everyone’s imagination in this industry would create such animosity.
We honor our exclusive arrangements and will not deter.
I really did not want to respond to this comment, knowing it did not deserve one but completely false and disparaging remarks sometimes have to be addressed. It is truly a shame Mr. Wallace would state such comments. Mr. Wallace and The Electric Bicycle store both have stores in South Beach Miami.
The Electric Bicycle Store has done a great job not only offering ProdecoTech electric bikes but 10 + other brands. They are a big success story for the retail electric bicycle store industry as well. It seems they also are pushing hot buttons.
Thank, Robert. I fully agree. It’s a shame that this great story by Pete turned into a complaint log.
Bob, thanks for the comment. I may go a little overboard in my replies defending against the false claims and disparaging remarks but there are reasons. We understood once we released our bikes a few years back we would get a rise out of the competition and dealers who offered other brands. We were being told by new dealers there a few unscrupulous so called “manufacturers” out there who will try and depress competition by all means rather than try and promote their bikes based on quality, pricing, etc… A few built their company by heavy marketing rather than producing great bike. That type of marketing cost money and it is seen in the MSRPs. Even outside the forums we have to deal with competitor’s attempting to depress, you would be shocked to know who is behind some of the comments but I just try and turn them into positives. We did previously on other comments (not this story) go back and try to find the origin of who left the comment. We were successful on a few. For example, 1 led us right to the owner of a competitor, many times it is a dealer of a competitor. Some of them go after us outside the forums and rather than spend their resources on building and promoting their brand, they instead try and denigrate ours.
Our team realizes the average ebike consumer is intelligent and sees through all of it. We have heard from dealers who state there are a few particular manufacturers making false claims and they just brush it off. The dealer’s actually get insulted as if they need to be told anything when they have the bikes right in front of them and can see the difference besides the price being so much lower. The lower price is due to not wasting any of our resources on anything other than building the best bikes and the dealers know this. The only accurate issue we have had with true authorized dealers is not having enough bikes for them and this has been a hot topic that I find myself often apologizing for. The dealers have been patient as we continue to increase production. We have been very cautious and slow to open new dealers but that is changing for 2014. Where we will still be cautious, we will not be slow. We are welcoming all the major current electric bike resellers in the USA to become authorized dealers for ProdecoTech. Now I am sure with that statement, you will see the competitor’s (whether manufacturer or dealer) back to their tricks.
There are some commenters who are real though with specific issues to address. We usually will address those commenters differently. Some may use then forum as a service platform which I understand may not be fair to Pete or they don’t understand otherwise a story about the company is not the place to ask for a service call. Since I leave such long comments, maybe they think we are more involved with the Electric Bike Report which we are not.
Thanks again Bob for the comment.
64 bikes a day is a little stretching it Rob. The question I have is is how do you ship all these bikes? Does UPS come pick them up in one swoop, or do they stop by your facility 8x times a day?
Also, you said you have 40 employees and it takes 12 hours to make a bike. Well 64 bikes a day does not add up. Every employee would have to be working on a bike then but you woul dnot be at the number 64.
Its cool trying to showcase American built electric bikes but please stop with the hype and fake online reviews. Customers will sniff this out and not buy from you.
Thank you Don for bringing up the request for me to clarify the production numbers. You are correct where if a person only chose part of the statements and compared ProdecoTech to another company’s typical workday, the numbers do not add up. Your comment offers me the opportunity to enlighten how we can do it. The answer to your specific question will follow.
On the main production floor, there are 64 stations arranged in 8 x 8 matrix. Our short term goal is to turn the stations once per day. Our long term goal (by 4th QTR 2015), will be to turn the stations 3 times per day for a 192 unit production number. It takes between 8 to 12 hours to build each bike (we clearly state that and the number has not changed). This time is divided between pre-assemblies, sub-assemblies, in-house fabrications, quality control, etc.
For ProdecoTech’s production team to achieve the goals, we realized it was more important to offer overtime to the production staff versus hiring irresponsibly. ProdecoTech employs 52 people as of writing this comment where the majority of those employees are involved in some aspect of the production process and will enjoy overtime. Overtime for example in September could result for some employees up to a 68% increase in their paycheck by clocking in an additional 18 hours. We will allow 1 hour prior, 1 hour after and 8 hours on Saturday towards overtime. Overtime is an important tool where it benefits not only the employee but the company as a whole. Fixed overhead costs remain constant while production numbers increase.
Don, if you are concerned about not enough employees to produce the demand, especially with our new models, you do not have to be. We have a steady flow of applicants filling out applications and we recently started working with the local vocational schools. An electric bicycle production course is currently being developed.
In regards to your specific question. We ship the majority of all orders by freight (4 bikes per pallet). Federal Express and UPS are also utilized depending on the dealer or if we are drop shipping an order.
As far as hype and reviews, we have never once left a review, period. Why this is hard to believe I do not know! We do understand human nature however is to place judgment on one’s own shortcomings or their own processes. That is why I believe the competitors make such claims. As far as hype, I have only answered honestly and thoroughly to comments left. I do not start the comments and everyone must remember, we do not write the articles and only invite any media outlet who wishes to visit our facility the opportunity to.
Awesome insight Pete! Thanks for sharing what looks to be some incredible investment in the industry. Prodeco looks to be “all in”. Best of luck to them. Keep up the great reporting!
I spent numerous online research hours prior to purchasing my first e-bike (outlaw ex) from Prodeco. I love it! I live in CO. with no dealer to go look-see, touch and feel prior to purchase. It was a bit unnerving to spend 2k without actually riding the bike, but it came very well packaged, assembled and appointed. I think over time Prodeco’s business model of price, product and customer service will set them above their competition. I wish them success.
Actually, I have had excellent service from Prodeco and they have quickly supplied me with replacement parts. I understand that when you get the earliest version of any product that sometimes the kinks aren’t worked out. I complained about the difficulty in fixing a flat on the rear motor wheel (but I suspect that is true of most e-bikes and isn’t limited to my Phantom X2) and I would like to thank Rob for some useful information. In the past 18 months or less I’ve put 5000 miles on my bike, so I expect there to be some problems. Right now I need to replace the struts and screws on the battery mount. Also both of my chargers no longer grip the connection and I have to push them against the wall to recharge. Yesterday was my worst day on the bike. The disc brakes failed as I approached a major highway intersection and I sailed right through into traffic but fortunately avoid a collision. I took the bike to my bike shop (luckily only a half mile away) and they fixed the brake. Then I hit the road and after a few miles hit a major thorn and had to replace the motor wheel tire on the road. I carry an extra green slime tube but it was still a real bitch. Got it done, however, and was back on the road but these delays and retreats cut into my battery power so I stopped and replaced the battery with one of the spares I always carry and, of course, it turned out that this was a battery that failed to rechage due to the loose charger connection. The PhantomX2 is a heavy bike and the next five miles were pure hell. But I also realize that the charger is being used once or twice a day and…well, we all start to lose our grip as we age.
Tom, the 5000 miles is impressive. Changing flats is not a picnic but as a manufacturer we are trying to make it less painful. For 2014, we are looking at including shield tires but not until spring. The front drive bikes allow flat changing to be no different than a traditional bike since the back end of the bike remains a traditional bike rear end. 2013 bikes are easier to change flats with new spacing but the rear motor wheel has weight. The only good thing I can say is thank god it was not a scooter. That would be even more a nightmare.
If you also see in your traveling frequent flats, there are shields or tire liners you can purchase to line your tires. It depends what types of flats you are getting. You can also line the rim better with thicker rim tapes. It is also important to maintain air pressure because low air pressure causes pinches in tubes. I am sure you probably thought of most of these already.
Regarding the brakes and not stopping. I understand you had 5000 miles on the bike but what do you believe it was. Please write me or you can state here. Maybe I have information that can be important to others to prevent that from ever happening. I am sure it was a heart pounding moment. Were they the Avid BB7 brakes?
Thanks, Rob
Shortly after my PhantomX2 arrived I realized that the tires that came with the bike weren’t tough enough at a 60 thread count and replaced them 120 thread count tires plus heavy duty green slime tubes (I always carry an extra tube since much of my rides are on back country paved roads at the edge of the mountains.) Thorns are the usual problem but because of the way things are packaged these days I have hit heavy duty staples several times while on the road. The last flat, however, was from a very large thorn so the green slime wasn’t really very effective, though it works well on small thorns and small stapes, etc. I’m getting better at changing the rear tire but it is still very difficult and since I frequently come home late at night I dread having a flat then. The front wheel solution will benefit new users but us pioneers will still have problems.
I would like to know if any other people have had trouble with the chargers no longer fitting tight enough on the battery connection to induce a charge. Both of my chargers no longer do so and I have to take the battery from the bike and push the connection up against the wall. This isn’t a complaint directed at Prodeco as I suspect this might be true of all chargers after the kind of use I put them to (I sometimes ride with three batteries depending on distance) but I’d like to know if there is another solution to tightening the connection. I’ll probably just pick up one or two new chargers otherwise. Incidentially, the city of Boulder (I live now in the mountains about 20 miles outside of Boulder) is about to introduce a pilot program in which electric bikes will be allowed on the city’s paved bike path system.
The disc brakes are the ones that came with my PX2 and of course that’s another problem when you change the rear tire, making sure the disc brakes go in correctly. Again, I am been quite pleased with the service I have gotten from Prodeco. When the dealer I bought the bike from failed to supply me additional supplies, Prodeco sold them to me directly.
Tom,
Thanks for the detailed comment. Regarding the tires, we agree with higher thread counts. Another important factor in tires is how many plys. Some tire manufactures for example will use 3 plys at 60 tpi and state it is 180 tpi. Either way we do not have an opinion on it but chose Continental tires and have seen a dramatic decrease in customer’s getting flats. We have switched to Continental tires on 80% of the models for 2013. For 2014, we will either be using Continentals or Schwalbe on all bikes. The Schwalbe will be predominately found on the bikes currently using Kendas.
Some of the Continental tires we install have Continental’s “Safety System” which prevents flats. Continental also now has a feature called “PlusBreaker” which is a shield built into the casing. Our goal is to eventually have all models using Continentals to include the “PlusBreaker” shield to eliminate the majority of flats.
Regarding the charger. The RCA jack itself may be loose on the battery. If the RCA Jack is loose, the connection will not be tight. I have heard some customers with a loose jack but not with the charger itself having the jack “stretch”, which I guess would be the term. RCA jacks have been around for years and the reason we chose this style connection versus the 3 prong widely used. Please check to see if the jack is loose or possibly pushed in. Either way, we will take care of it. If you determine the chargers are the culprit, we will replace them under the 2 year warranty as a “connection issue”. If over 2 years old and you want to keep the charger, Radio Shack sells a right hand gold plated RCA jack/plug (model # 274-915). You could attach the jack to the charger permanently and then have a new jack to plug into the battery.
The brakes on your bike are the Promax DSK-715. They utilize the exact same pads as the Avid BB5. The DSK-715 are a little more difficult for a consumer to adjust than the Avid. The reason we switched all 2013 bikes to Avid was due to Avid’s patented tri-align adjusting. The tri-align is exclusive to Avid and allows adjustments to be much simpler. Where the front wheel was not important to have the tri-align adjustment, the rear motor wheel was very important to have it. Since there is more hardware at the axle for rear drive bikes including torque plates, it was important to have a brake that can adjust quickly and align properly without too much effort. Other than the adjustment, the brakes are the same as the BB5. For the Phantoms they are BB7 at both front and rear axles.
I hope this information is useful to others.
I can’t comprehend the negative feedback some have given. You have an American company creating jobs with a guy who’s probably working 24/7 in a downed economy and some of you are ignorant enough to throw out negative remarks especially the one regarding the cheap screws. I’m 45 years old raced BMX as a kid went on to race Motocross and was signed by Yamaha as a factory rider. Guess what? We had many broken screws and numerous mechanical problems that any make has and anything that is mechanically run has. Any make auto, motorcycle or bicycle will have some kind of an issue. That being said a little preventative maintenance goes a long way before going out for a ride especially an off road ride.
My family owns a large power sport business in MA with several overseas contacts. I started building custom electrical bikes utilizing the major motor companies and building my own chasis. For the mathematician I can’t get the cost of what Prodeco is utilizing in there builds. In regards to service try dealing with an overseas company it’s like pulling teeth.
I’ve watched the growth of this company from the beginning and think it’s pretty amazing. I spoke to both Robert Provost and Robert Lindsay (Sales Manager) in regards to setting up dealer account. But before I did was smart enough to make recent purchase of one of the Outlaws and go through bike with fine tooth comb. First was amazed in the time and material they spend packaging and second the quality of the parts utilized are top knotch. The geometry and strength of frame is also top knotch. Going 30 MPH on a do it yourself kit with a Walmart bike is absolutely nuts.
I’ve been around and seen many companies in these types of business’s since I was a kid and believe this company is going to grow leaps and bounds over others.
Awesome comment, Bill! I, too, am impressed with Prodeco, having purchased a Stride folding e-bike earlier this year. While I did have a few issues, their support and customer service were truly outstanding. It is rare that a company CEO will call you to check on a concern. It was also nice to finally see Louis in the video. He was incredible with his advice, support and patience. He also called me back to make sure that my issue was corrected to my satisfaction. A great American story. Best wishes, Prodeco, on your continued success.
Thank you Bill and I do remember you contacting me about a dealership. Hopefully we can see you at Interbike next month. All the major ebike companies are there showing off their new models. You will be able to see every company’s product at once and compare them. There will also be a demo track to test the bikes.
I bought mt x2 in March 2013….I actually did a lot of research for 2 months before I purchased…..it was a bit expensive for me because the most I ever paid for a bike was 600 gt….then I thought wth I need something that’s going to last an get me around here an there…..gas prices/insurance always going up then if something mechanical goes wrong on the car….so yea I was skeptical at first…then I got the bike….put it together…most already is….rode it to a shop just to have them check it…..I’ve had police officers ask where to buy them and others check it out all the time….I’ve had my issues as well where the battery housing needed to be rebuilt….called an sent it in turn around was a week….no issues at all whenever anything is wrong….great job Prodeco….
I sent in an email with photos to your gmail email [email protected]. Is that the correct email. I have small problem with outlaw ss kick stand mount welds broke off. Please contact me ASAP. Thank and have great holiday. John S
John, please write [email protected] and you have a great holiday also.
Robert,
I am trying to get in contact with both Kristen Bailey (left her a VM Friday morning) and also someone in the service/Warranty Dept…(also left VM for them) I just got the outlaw and had damage that destroyed the charger as well as causing other damage….so that is why I would like to talk to Kristen.
I also used the above email you posted but have also not gotten any response.
I need to talk to the Service Dept because the bike keeps cutting off while I am riding it….I then peddle it home and try to fiddle with it but can see no loose connections from the controller or to the motor quick connects….maybe it is overheating, because it seems to start working again later….the first 2 times it cut off when the lights were displaying the bike at a full charge – it cut off this afternoon when the battery was on half….it just totally cuts off and reseating the battery doesn’t help….the last time it cut off i was barely moving….just a slow ride at the park….and tried giving it throttle and it cut off….the other times it happened I was headed up hill……I really would appreciate someone calling me back to help resolve both getting a replacement charger and fixing the cutting off of power issue.
Regards,
David Lane
Funny how all these supportive prodeco comments come out now after prodeco gets found out to be leaving fake online reviews. Go to endless-sphere blog and you will see tons of people whith problems with their prodeco bikes. unreal!
Thank you Don for bringing up Endless Sphere, I have been wanting to comment about that for a long time and now you afford me the opportunity. You have been helpful in bringing up topics I want to address.
First, once again we have never left a fake review or comment, I am starting to sound like a broken record. Your reference to stating otherwise again displays either your lack of knowledge or the human nature of judging oneself. Don, I do realize you are attempting to push buttons as it is quite obvious and a little comical. On the good side, it does remind me to comment on other areas I may have left out prior.
With that said, Endless Sphere is predominately a DIY (Do It Yourself) ebike forum. It is monitored by a company that promotes ebike kits or at least it was last year. The users are not fans of any ebike company. All ebike manufacturers or distributors are not respected on that site as the site caters to individuals who will build their own bikes. We have had customers contact us stating their reviews were removed and to beware. Negative comments (usually not real) are encouraged. This is again with majority of ebike manufacturers though, not just ProdecoTech. We decided to abandon it a while back as it has a specific agenda.
Don, our goal has never been to promote our bikes on the internet and we prefer doing it through our dealers. It has always been, built the best ebike, build it in the USA, built it with the highest grade components and make them the most affordable in their class. We do not do internet redirecting or spend fortunes on marketing with adwords, etc… Our team just lives and breathes building ebikes. We were very confident once we started production, the buyers and dealers would spread the word. Our main priority has also been to promote the industry as whole, we have been the top GOLD sponsor of the Light Electric Vehicle Association (LEVA) for 3 years in a row. LEVA is one of the only organizations of its kind. We also prefer to open our doors to the media to come take photos, videos and do interviews. We want to share our success story so others can follow and build this industry versus spending energy trying to depress competitors. We felt opening the doors was better than advertising as it is unencumbered information. We consider the ebike buyer to be an intelligent buyer and will respect the open access we allow. We did not see any other ebike company doing so in the USA and felt it was important to the consumer as well.
Don, I am not sure why you seem to have so much animosity toward ProdecoTech but it is obvious you do for whatever your reasons are. Have you purchased one of our bikes? Since you brought up Endless Sphere (a DIY site), let’s discuss limiting the review of our bike to the component list. An experienced bike assembler would find it near impossible to replicate with our component list. I do understand some of the comments left were in regards to brakes, tires or other components. We do not manufacture all individual components such as tires, brakes, gears, etc… For example, the predominant tire of choice for 2013, even on the $1299 bikes are Continentals (a top industry brand). All drive trains are either SRAM X5, X7 or X9 which are 2 steps of an upgrade over Shimano Tourneys or Alivios. The brake systems are all Avid and either BB5, BB7 or Elixir, again top of their field. We also don’t limit the component list to 1 high end component and not follow through with consistency. All components are of consistent quality throughout the bike.
Again, I am writing too much. I will save some for your next comment. I do tend to have a lot to say sharing the excitement our team has for the bikes, the industry and to also dispel the false comments.
Robert Provost
CEO
ProdecoTech
Please SS call on cell 9546825410
John, please email us at [email protected] to communicate. This is Pete Prebus’s website and not related to ProdecoTech. I want to respect his site and not use it excessively as a ProdecoTech communication tooI. I also would not advise you to place your phone number on here. I did write it down and I will have someone call you. Based on your phone number, you seem to be local to our facility so you can always bring the bike by.
The office is closed for the Labor Day holiday. When someone calls, they will need to know what aftermarket kickstand model you used. There is definitely few solutions available to you so please do not worry. We will take care of the kickstand issue.
Thanks, Rob
I have broken bracket for kick stand that mounts there
Need to confirm you have solution for thisbike
He doesent have a solution. He ignores customers when they have problems with their bike.
As was stated earlier, this is not Prodeco’s website. If you have an issue with them, contact THEM, not use this comment forum to whine; that gets you nowhere, and it certainly doesn’t get the problem addressed.
I have to agree with Reed Wallace, we’re an e-bike dealer that’s seen these products in-person and dealt with the issues first hand. Claiming the negative comments are due to “animosity” or that competitors are making it up is absolutely ridiculous. As a dealer, we’re looking for brands that work and hold-up well over time. Prodeco has proven time-and-time again that they have problems with their designs, and that getting support / parts is difficult.
The battery / rack setup is the most obvious design flaw and one that’s caused many problems for our customers (and others around the Web). Instead of including a sturdy / built-in rack or frame mounted battery, Prodeco has opted for a seat post mounted rack with a couple thin support brackets. Anyone that’s riden an e-bike regularly or dealt with repairs knows that this design will eventually fail. There’s an enormous amount of strain placed on a rack with an 8-10lb battery being thrown around all the time. For casual riders, it may not be an issue, but for anyone that rides regularly or somewhat aggressively, the support brackets will definitely break and need to be replaced at some point. A simple repair (if you can get the parts), and just one of many quality issues we’ve seen with Prodeco…
Sorry, but if you are “Anonymous Dealer” I can’t really give much credence to your comments. Name yourself or shut up but don’t waste my time.
Dear Anonymous Dealer,
Thank you for bringing up the point of the battery mount. I want to lay to rest the confusion surrounding our battery mount. I also can think of no dealer who no longer offers our bikes in 2013 by their choice so I doubt you are genuine and most likely a competitor but that’s beside the point. We have become accustomed to competitors or non ProdecoTech dealers making false references to our bikes. It comes with the turf when a company such as ours jumps to the #2 position in its industry in a short 3 years with little to no marketing other than word of mouth from true bike owners. Instead of taking a negative position towards competitors, I will instead discuss the battery mount and glad you brought that up so I can clarify it for potential buyers.
Before I discuss the mount, I want to make a quick reference to the statement about parts. One of the main reasons we chose to build the bikes in the USA was to have full control of all components. Since we build the bikes in the USA, we maintain the largest component base of ebike parts in the entire USA. Our new inventory management system will maintain 6 months minimum of all components for all models, regardless of year. There is no other company in both North and South America that has more inventory of components than ProdecoTech or can state such a claim. We have many dealers purchasing components from us to retrofit other brand bikes. Any good ebike mechanic knows how important that is. We have always developed the bikes around Industry Standard measurements so even a traditional bike shop could work on our bike as long as the mechanic skills were there. All non-electric components are traditional high quality bike components from all top brand suppliers such as SRAM (Avid, Truvativ, RockShox), KMC, Continental, etc… The electric system components could also be used for other companies who use components such as Crystalyte or 8 Fun. Our electric system is an industry standard Hall Sensor system.
About the mount and why we have chosen this specific design. We have reviewed multiple designs over the years and evolved our mount to its current design. In 2012, the mounts were slightly different and used aluminum struts (25lb weight capacity) and for 2011 we used an existing mount design found on millions of ebikes. For 2013, we decided to think outside the box and completely change the strut design. We went to the automotive industry for ideas on designing a specific strut to enhance our new 2013 battery mount. The result of that was a cromoly steel (superior strength) strut with adjustable 316 stainless steel mounts. The testing results surpassed our expectations. The struts were designed to hold 100lbs (50lbs each) but have tested way beyond. The struts are also stabilizers and the platform strength comes from the actual frame mount. All hardware is stainless steel.
One of the most popular aspects of ProdecoTech bikes is the design and appeal. We could easily have welded the mount to the frame but consulting with numerous design firms, dealers and riders, overwhelmingly they believed the concept of a large welded rear rack to the frame was unsightly and we agreed. A large welded mount to the frame would dramatically take away from the overall appearance of the bike. It was important the battery mount design was to be the least intrusive. For some markets or demographics it may be OK to have a big welded mount but not for our customers. A large portion of our research in the USA revolved around design and our bikes our designed for the USA market.
ProdecoTech understands we hit buttons in this industry. Usually when a negative comment comes out, they are always wrapped with the commenter trying to promote themselves or if anonymous, promoting a feature they themselves offer. The bottom line, we are the #2 ebike company in the USA and achieved that position in a short time. We spend little to no money on marketing and it has always been about the bikes. We state over and over that we focus on building the best ebike period and sales will follow. Our growth is attributed to word of mouth and of course it can be upsetting to rivals how fast we grow. I do not look at other companies in this industry as rivals and prefer everyone has a common goal of promoting ebikes for transportation versus some of the nonsense they result to.
Our team continues to grow stronger. We recently have invested heavily into customer service and to make the after sales experience for the customer an industry best. Our goal for 2014 is to also double our dealer network in the USA. We strive to do our part for the ebike to become a main form of respectable transportation in the USA.
I want to say thank you to the Prodeco Team. I brought my SS in for the Kick stand bracket and they replaced the frame with a new one and I had the bike back in less than 48 hours. They are 1st Class service and they stand behind an excellent product. Thanks Alexandria and Luis for the great customer service.
Mr. Robert, 😉
The Internet is the great amplifier of all things :/ …
Deal with it. :<
May I suggest you put your bikes online at Amazon, at
a higher price then what your dealers charge?
As an IT instructor and author, I went through
the same S*it on Amazon with my books about 14
years ago.
Don't get me wrong! Word of mouth is great!
And we now live in a word of mouse.
I promise. A blog, that is (low-cost/mechanical)
converted to Audio (Google Play) and video
(YouTube) would educate about the industry
in general and teach the greater public
about your firm and LEVA in general.
I base this on my own research and experience
in other industries as a tech researcher.
Please let me make it clear.
I'm NOT talking about LA level productions.
This is 100% synthetic, based on text.
I have watched other dismiss for 'low quality'.
They are still in the poor house.
It is about the content, which is why Pete's
site works.
YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in
the world, because some are visual learners.
I for one, don't expect a perfect machine
from any complex system (computer or e-bike).
I'm not here to be your cheerleader.
I'm happy to support LEVA with my
long tech background.
And IMO, your ignoring the I-net
is costing your firm. Again,
word of mouth has moved to
word of mouse. My research
has dragged me there. (No,
I'm not happy about it).
I hate gravity too.
And gravity doesn't care.
Best,
Tcat
I am at a total loss to understand why the folded dimensions of the Mariner7 are nowhere to be found on the Prodeco web site or after an extensive Google search, for that matter. I attempted to get the info from the Prodego web site, but there is no email address or contact routine for pre sales questions.
It makes no sense that other than the youtube ad showing the bike being unloaded from an airplane that a picture and description of the folded up bike is to be found. Isn’t the size of a folded bike a key consideration in making a decision to buy your product as opposed to another folding ebike?
Dick,
Thank you for bringing up the lack of dimensions being on the website. We will be adding then over the next few days. It has never been a big question for us but I can understand where it could be for many riders. The dimension is 35″ x 29 x 14″. There are a few places such as Amazon which display box dimensions. Box dimensions are similar in size because the bike ships 100% built and only folded inside the box.
The Prodecotech.com website does have our phone number at top and the email address in support. The Contact: at the phone number can also be clicked on which brings you to a contact us page if not clicking on support. You can also download the manual to the Mariner 7 for further details. If looking for a quick answer to a question, you can link to Facebook from our website and ask any question you like. Someone will usually respond within 24 hours or less on Facebook.
Thanks Dick for inquiring about our bikes.