Why Did Upway Bet on Expanding to the US? Latest LA Launch

Written by: Toussaint Wattinne | April 16, 2025 | Time to read 6 min

The recent launch of the LA UpCenter is a game-changer for Upway. We’ll have coast-to-coast coverage that provides operational advantages and benefits for our customers.

• Faster delivery for CA and West Coast: An UpCenter nearby means faster shipping and smoother logistics for customers.

• More affordable prices: Optimized logistics when it comes to sourcing and selling electric bikes means lower prices and additional savings for riders.

• Better relationships with partners: Top brands like Aventon, SUPER73, Rad Power Bikes, and others are based in LA, so Upway can strengthen these partnerships.

• Larger network of bike shops: Upway works with local bike shops for our trade-in program and some repairs, and our LA UpCenter will help expand our reach and connection.

In a recent interview with a tech reporter, I explained that tariffs affect mostly new bikes and parts that are imported. Upway sources used bikes domestically, so the impact of tariffs on the cost of Upway bikes is very limited. This means customers will continue to get a great deal on Upway, even in the face of potentially higher tariffs in the future.

“I'm not concerned about the market shrinking because ultimately the single biggest driver of adoption of e-Bikes has been the convenience and the experience by users. My suspicion is that the adoption will continue to increase simply because people want the product. It feels like a superpower when you push a pedal and you realize that you can go longer distances across any uphill journey and do that effortlessly.”

Given our ambition in the e-Bike industry and Upway’s growing role within it, I was asked if Upway does much policy work or lobbying to encourage bike and e-Bike ridership. And though we have been focused on growing the business part of Upway in the US, this is a crucial element of our long-term goals. As experts in the market and a company that prioritizes sustainability and revitalizing used e-Bikes, we can be an important ally to riders across the country and in our own backyard.

“I think the natural next step would be to play a more active role with policymakers to help them see and understand the hugely positive impact that e-Bikes overall can have on their city, congestion, air pollution, and, frankly, on people's health and the cost to society that this represents.”

Yet bike-friendly policymaking goes beyond simply constructing new bike lanes. Additional strategies and urban infrastructure like protected cycle lanes, bike boxes, safe parking, charging hubs, and more all contribute to people-centric design that truly supports ridership, especially for people who are more hesitant to hop on a bike and get pedaling. Upway’s affordable prices are a great way to get the wheels turning, and the larger project of building better cities ensures that change is here to stay.

“It’s not only building cycle lanes, but building secure cycling infrastructure that is really the single biggest impact that policymakers can have because it brings people on bikes that would otherwise feel unsafe and therefore resist doing it even though they want to do it. So it's clearly the very first step that cities can take to encourage adoption.”