Levi Conlow: Leading the E-Bike Industry

The Lectric eBikes XP 3.0 is the most popular e-bike in America. Based in Phoenix, the company has sold more than 400,000 e-bikes in less than five years, and sells the most popular cargo e-bike and the most popular adult electric trike. Lectric eBikes CEO Levi Conlow co-founded the company with his childhood friend and mechanical engineer, Robby Deziel, in 2019. At the time, Conlow was only 22 years old.

But that wasn’t his first attempt at industry domination. While he was working on his master’s degree in business leadership at Grand Canyon University, Conlow started an electric skateboard company. “The experience of having that initial success with electric skateboards — and then total failure — was invaluable,” Conlow relates. “Those learnings were crucial to our future success in creating e-bikes that people wanted.”

After their first e-bike sold poorly, one of the most important things they did was listen to customers. “We attribute much of our success to the age-old concept of listening to customers and then giving them what they want,” says Conlow. “They wanted a bike that worked well, was easy to ride, had technology that gave them a better experience, and provided them with a hassle-free process.” Conlow and Deziel’s second e-bike was foldable, made well, affordable, shipped for free, and arrived fully assembled.

“The price point was also very important,” says Conlow. “We were determined to make a better e-bike that cost less, and when we brought that to customers, they responded immediately.” The early success catapulted Lectric into the mainstream and allowed the co-founders to turn those sales into additional models, including a lighter, foldable model beloved by RV enthusiasts and college students (XP Lite); a cargo e-bike that can carry 450 pounds (XPedition); an adult electric trike (XP Trike); and a fat-tire, off-road e-bike (XPeak) that began shipping in January. All their e-bike models are competitive across the industry while maintaining the most aggressive and affordable prices. 

And they’ve established a formidable sales record: Lectric eBikes sells more electric vehicles than Ford and GM combined, and is third in EV sales in America, behind only two Tesla models.

Behind all the success of Lectric is the heart and soul of an enviable brand that thrives on customer satisfaction. Anyone stopping by its showroom in northern Phoenix will experience it first-hand. Lectric employees are there to help potential customers through the consideration process, walk them through the benefits of riding an electric bike, and set up test rides. And beyond the showroom floor is a friendly customer service team available throughout the week to help with everything from purchasing decisions to technical advice. Says Conlow, “You can’t be the best without having the best people to represent your brand, whether it’s face-to-face, on the phone, over chat, or through email.” Lectric has grown from a few people in a garage to more than 120 employees and counting.

While Lectric has worked hard to develop high-quality e-bikes, Conlow and Deziel are well aware of how fortunate they are to have hundreds of thousands of loyal customers. With that achievement comes a responsibility, according to Conlow, which he believes is a secret to success that all companies should embed in their DNA. “If you’re lucky enough to be this successful, we know it’s absolutely necessary to give back to communities and help as many people as possible.” Although less than five years old, Lectric’s philanthropic efforts are head and shoulders above the competition. In 2023, Lectric donated more than $2.5 million to support a variety of charities in Arizona and around the world, including $1.5 million in cash and $1 million in e-bikes. Those efforts included an ongoing partnership with MrBeast Philanthropy, who, together with Lectric, has powered the Zambian village of Mapapa, rebuilt an orphanage in Africa and supplied clothing and food to the Hopi tribe here in Arizona. 

“But leading the industry in giving is not enough,” says Conlow. “Winning for us would be to inspire our competition to give back as much as we do. Studies have shown that if you tell people about your giving, it encourages others to give, and your donation can start a chain reaction. And we’re hoping that the rest of the EV industry will continue to do more for communities around the world.”  

Setting Standards

While Lectric eBikes continues to set the standard for riders and lead the industry with its best-selling e-bikes, the initial idea originated from CEO Levi Conlow’s father’s search for an affordable e-bike. He turned to Levi and his childhood friend, Robby Deziel, for help, and the duo made it their mission to create a high-quality e-bike at an accessible price. After initial challenges with their first model, they designed their Lectric XP series, which were named after “experience points” as homage to their videogame-rooted friendship, and the eBikes were an instant hit with customers and industry experts due to the bike’s authentic combination of affordability, foldability and comfort.

Did You Know: The bicycle is the most efficient form of transportation, and electric bicycles are more than 30 times cleaner than electric automobiles and more than 100 times cleaner than gas-powered vehicles.