OP
OP
NXTGENAutomotive
Peak Sponsor (Level 2)
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2024
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- 19
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- 235
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- 219
- Location
- Carlsbad, CA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2 Jeeps and a BMW
- Thread starter
- #76
Yes, we’re excited that production has wrapped up on the first few hundred units—part of an initial run of about 1,000.
Here are a few things to consider:
No one has ever made a drop-down step for the factory rail before—and there’s a reason why. The process is incredibly complex and costly. Like many innovative products, we’ll be selling these at a loss for the first run or two due to the high costs of development, tooling, and IP.
There is also a level of precision manufacturing required for these steps that you simply don’t see in most step products for any vehicle.
For reference, Archetype’s clamp-on steps (now out of business) cost close to $1,000 for a set of four—before tax and shipping. We could probably build two full sets of their design for what it costs to make one set of ours.
IAG now offers a Jeep step for the factory rail, but it’s a very different product. We could likely produce 3–4 sets of theirs for the cost of one set of ours.
Power steps are another option, but are about double the cost of ours.
Then there are replacement steps integrated into aftermarket rails. These are also less complex and cheaper to produce, requiring far less precision. For what one pair of our steps costs to make, we could produce several sets of those. In fact, for the basic straight versions that don't curve like the factory rail does, we could probably produce 5–6 sets for the cost of one of ours.
When it comes to steps designed specifically for the factory rail, ours are by far the most complex and costly to manufacture—but our pricing still falls squarely in the middle when compared to past and current offerings from other brands. We also include extra hardware and the tools needed for installation—something many other products do not.
We fully understand this is not a cheap product and that it won’t be for everyone. But this step represents over a year of engineering and development, along with extensive research into other available products and price points.
Each 2-pack ships in a 25-inch box weighing about 30 pounds. Once you see and feel our steps in person, you’ll understand. They are solid, well-crafted, and made from hefty, pure American steel. Ultimately, it comes down to personal choice.
Since the JT and JL platforms were introduced in 2018, there have been add-on steps at rail height—but never a true drop-down step. We wanted to give fellow Jeepers a new option and we were willing to invest heavily in it.
We sincerely appreciate your interest and respect whatever decision you make. We truly hope the Jeep community enjoys what we’ve worked so hard to bring to life—and we’ve got more exciting, premium-quality products launching later this summer and fall.
The NXTGEN, Inc Team
Sponsored
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