Author Archives: Annick Roetynck

About Annick Roetynck

Annick is the Manager of LEVA-EU, with decades of experience in two-wheeled and light electric mobility.

• TAIPEI CYCLE d&i awards 2021: Last Chance to Participate!

  07/12/2020 20:55 Comments Off on TAIPEI CYCLE d&i awards 2021: Last Chance to Participate!

  The organization of the Taipei Cycle show 2021 (3-6 March 2021) calls for participants. Both exhibitors and non-exhibitors are welcome to participate. Every year, the TAIPEI CYCLE d&i awards evaluates products based on their innovative value and design quality.

  The judging panel of the d&I awards include: Georg Todtenbier (CRE8 Design, Taipei), Johann Geiger (Da-Yeh University, Changhua), Ken O’Rourke (KOR-DESIGN, Taichung), Moses Hu (VanMoof, Taipei), Debbie Huang (PEGA D&E, Taipei), Edward Chiang (CDY Innovations, Taipei) and Francois Liang (Cycling & Health Tech Industry R&D Center, Taichung).

  Start-ups established after 2017 are automatically eligible to compete for the special “Gold Award – Young Enterprise” distinction. Winning this award brings brand recognition and offers an excellent marketing opportunity for compagnies.

  Designers, manufacturers, sales representatives, importers and retailers from the cycling industry are welcomed by the organization to submit their innovative designs before 14 December 2020. Participants can submit their products within the following categories:

  • Complete bicycle
  • Parts and components
  • Cycling accessories
  • E-bikes & drive units
  • Smart cycling services

  Please find more information at: https://ifworlddesignguide.com/awards/participate/taipei-cycle-d-and-i-awards

• Electric Mopeds, Motorcycles and Quadricycles Allowed on French Bus Lanes

  20:54 Comments Off on Electric Mopeds, Motorcycles and Quadricycles Allowed on French Bus Lanes

  Source: eBikeGeneration – A recently published decree in the French official journal allows for electric mopeds, electric motorcycles and electric quadricycles to make use of lanes that are normally reserved for busses and taxi’s.

  Following the publication of the French Decree 2020-1412, it is now allowed for electric mopeds, motorcycles and quadricycles to make use of lanes that are normally reserved for busses and taxi’s. Before the change, only heavy electric vehicles such as cars and vans were allowed to use the lanes thanks to their low emissions figures. This change is meant to ensure a more equal treatment of heavy and light electric vehicles.

  Drivers and riders must use their electric vehicles with a Crit’Air-stickers. The sticker proves that their vehicle has the ‘’zero-emission’’ status which allows them to make use of these lanes.

  However, it is up to the communities to decide whether or not they implement this measure.

  Photo by Basil Samuel Lade on Unsplash

• Stromer and Blubrake develop first Speed Pedelec with integrated ABS

  20:52 Comments Off on Stromer and Blubrake develop first Speed Pedelec with integrated ABS

  LEVA-EU member Stromer developed the first speed pedelec with integrated anti-lock braking system (ABS). They worked together with Blubrake to make this development happen.

  Safety, efficiency and riding fun when commuting are central aspects in the development of Stromer’s speed pedelecs. Together with the light system, tire performance, high directional stability and grip in any weather, integration of an ABS was a logical step for Stromer to increase safety.

  The high demands Stromer places on quality and design required a special solution. Stromer worked together with Italian brake specialist Blubrake to tackle this challenging project.

  Their collaboration resulted in the newest generation of the ST5 model, their first and only speed pedelec with ABS fully integrated into the frame.

  The innovative ABS increases the safety standards of speed pedelecs by ensuring a safe riding experience, even at high speeds and with abrupt brake application in heavily congested urban environments. In other words, the new ABS prevents the front wheel from locking up and skidding to the side and ensures that the rear wheel stays on the ground, keeping the cycle manoeuvrable in any situation.

  Further information on the technical details and operating principle of the ABS: www.stromerbike.com/en/modelle/st5-abs

  The new ST5 ABS is available at specialist dealers from June 2021.

• Eurobike 2021 Schedule is Up and Running

  20:51 Comments Off on Eurobike 2021 Schedule is Up and Running

  Messe Friedrichshafen has announced its schedule for Eurobike 2021. After virtually all events were cancelled this year due to Corona, the organization has now a roadmap ready for the international cycle community in 2021.

  The 29th edition of EUROBIKE will take place at Lake Constance as the main industry meeting point next year from Wednesday 1 to Saturday 4 September 2021.

  “Covid-19 has turned the international bike industry and its events upside down this year. Despite the current imponderables and differing requirements from industry players regarding format, timing and target group, we are delighted to announce our plans for next year that include an even wider range of participation options. With our new EUROBIKE 2021 concept, we are making it possible to plan ahead with certainty and creating target group-specific, secure meeting points for an international audience,” says Klaus Wellmann, CEO Messe Friedrichshafen.

  Further details are here: Eurobike.

• Fahrrad XXL Study on Electric Cycles 2020

  16:22 Comments Off on Fahrrad XXL Study on Electric Cycles 2020

  Summary of Fahrrad XXL Electric Cycle Study 2020 – Electric cycles are becoming increasingly popular as a means of transport or as leisure vehicle. To get a better understanding of the electric cycle development and its users, Fahrrad XXL has conducted a study. Below is a summary of 11 main findings relating to social-geographical characteristics of electric cycle users.

  11 main findings of the Electric Cycle Study 2020 by Fahrrad XXL

  1. Buyers of electric cycles are mostly male: 71.6% men versus 27.6% women.

  2. Electric cycles are popular among all ages. Based on this study, the majority (almost 75%) of electric cycle buyers are to be found in the three following age groups:

  • 30-39 years – 25%
  • 50-59 years – 24.8%
  • 40-49 years – 23.5%

  Nevertheless, 13.7 % of the participants were found in the group of 18-29 years and 0.4% in the group <18 years. The researchers conclude that electric cycles are also very interested for younger users and not only for older users.

  

  Source: Fahrrad XLL

  3. Electric cylces are especially popular with couples. The research found that a big majority (81.2%) of electric cycle buyers are in a registered partnership or married. Only 13% of the participants are single.

  4. Electric cycles are found in a variety of residential areas based on the number of inhabitants:

  • Small villages (<5,000): 21.6%
  • City (between 5,001 and 20,000): 25.2%
  • City (between 20,001 and 100,000): 24.3%
  • City (between 100,001 and 1 million): 21.4%

  5. Electric cycles and its users are found in multiple landscape types:

  • Hilly landscape: 53.4%.
  • Flat landscape: 29.4%
  • Mountainous landscape: 15.4%.

  6. The popularity top 3 of electric cycles is:

  • Electric Mountain Bikes (MTB) are most popular: 43.7%.
  • Electric Trekking Cycles: 25.9%
  • Electric City and Urban Cyles: 13.6%

  7. How long does it take consumers to complete a search for an electric cycle? 17.3% of the respondents finished their search within 1 month. In most cases (34.2%), the process of finding a suitable electric cycle took around 2 or 3 months. Some people took 4 or 5 months (19%) while 21.5% needed more than 6 months to complete their search.

  

  8. There are several reasons why the participants decide or plan to buy an electric cycle. The top 3 reasons are listed below.

  • Less effort is needed in comparison with a conventional cycle: 66.3%
  • Riding an electric cycle is just fun: 59% (note that this especially relevant for E-MTB users)
  • Being able to make longer trips: 56.5%

  9. What are the main characteristics of the electric cycles that convince people to buy one? Range, electric motor and weight appear to be more important than for example the brand of the electric cycle.

  • Battery size: 53.8%
  • Powerful electric motor: 42.8%
  • Well known battery of motor manufacturer: 32%.

  10. There are also several barriers that people consider when planning to buy an electric cycle.

  • High purchase or maintenance costs
  • Potential risk of theft
  • Weight of an electric cycle

  11. Do users of electric cycles also use conventional cycles? 44.9% of the participants mention that they use a conventional cycle in combination with an electric cycle. The researchers conclude that these users do not want to replace their conventional cycle. Around 19% of the participants state that they are not using conventional cycles anymore and they see the electric cycle as an replacement of the conventional one. A substantial group of electric cycle buyers (21.6%) has not used a conventional cycle before buying an electric one.

  The original article is in German.

  If you have any questions or feedback on the study, you can contact Fahrrad XXL at: studien@fahrrad-xxl.de.

  Information about the study. This study was conducted through the Heilbron University of Applied sciences. Results of this study are gathered through an online survey that took place between 25 April 2020 and 7 May 2020. Based on a filtering question if the person already had an electric cycle or is planning to buy one, a dataset of 1,917 samples were retrieved and in total 1,374 (n) people participated. These people where contacted through internal and external channels.

  Photo credits: Neomouv

• EEA reports improving air quality in Europe

  30/11/2020 18:37 Comments Off on EEA reports improving air quality in Europe

  Better air quality has led to a significant reduction of premature deaths over the past decade in Europe. However, the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest official data show that almost all Europeans still suffer from air pollution, leading to about 400,000 premature deaths across the continent.

  Source: The EEA – The EEA’s ‘Air quality in Europe — 2020 report’ shows that six Member States exceeded the European Union’s limit value for fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in 2018: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Italy, Poland, and Romania. Only four countries in Europe — Estonia, Finland, Iceland and Ireland — had fine particulate matter concentrations that were below the World Health Organization’s (WHO) stricter guideline values. The EEA report notes that there remains a gap between EU’s legal air quality limits and WHO guidelines, an issue that the European Commission seeks to address with a revision of the EU standards under the Zero Pollution Action Plan.

  The new EEA analysis is based on the latest official air quality data from more than 4 000 monitoring stations across Europe in 2018.

  Exposure to fine particulate matter caused about 417,000 premature deaths in 41 European countries in 2018, according to the EEA assessment. About 379,000 of those deaths occurred in EU-28 where 54,000 and 19,000 premature deaths were attributed to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and ground-level ozone (O₃), respectively. (The three figures are separate estimates and the numbers should not be added together to avoid double counting.)

  EU, national and local policies and emission cuts in key sectors have improved air quality across Europe, the EEA report shows. Since 2000, emissions of key air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOx), from transport have declined significantly, despite growing mobility demand and associated increase in the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. Pollutant emissions from energy supply have also seen major reductions while progress in reducing emissions from buildings and agriculture has been slow.

  Thanks to better air quality, around 60,000 fewer people died prematurely due to fine particulate matter pollution in 2018, compared with 2009. For nitrogen dioxide, the reduction is even greater as premature deaths have declined by about 54 % over the last decade. The continuing implementation of environmental and climate policies across Europe is a key factor behind the improvements.

  “The EEA’s data prove that investing in better air quality is an investment for better health and productivity for all Europeans. Policies and actions that are consistent with Europe’s zero pollution ambition, lead to longer and healthier lives and more resilient societies,” said Hans Bruyninckx, EEA Executive Director.

  “It is good news that air quality is improving thanks to the environmental and climate policies that we have been implementing. But we can’t ignore the downside – the number of premature deaths in Europe due to air pollution is still far too high. With the European Green Deal we have set ourselves an ambition of reducing all kinds of pollution to zero. If we are to succeed and fully protect people’s health and the environment, we need to cut air pollution further and align our air quality standards more closely with the recommendations of the World Health Organization. We will look at this in our upcoming Action Plan,” said Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries.

  The European Commission has recently published a roadmap for the EU Action Plan Towards a Zero Pollution Ambition, which is part of the European Green Deal.

  Photo by Maria Bobrova on Unsplash.

• Speed pedelecs numbers in the Netherlands double in 3 years

  18:35 Comments Off on Speed pedelecs numbers in the Netherlands double in 3 years

  The number of speed pedelec registrations in the Netherlands has been growing in the first 6 months of 2020. Compared to 3 years ago, this number has doubled.

  The number of speed pedelecs is growing in the Netherlands. On 1 July 2020, a total fleet of 21,100 vehicles are on the Dutch roads. Compared to 1 July 2019, this is a growth of around 23% (17,200) – and the number has doubled compared to three years ago on 1 July 2017. A total of 3,300 pieces have been purchased (new and second hand) In the first 6 months of 2020, a total of both new and second-hand speed pedelecs were purchased. According to CBS, COVID-19 has had no impact on the sales.

  Month	2019	2020
  Jan	286	479
  Feb	285	458
  Mar	411	463
  Apr	481	557
  May	554	601
  Jun	556	701

  On 1 July 2020, the biggest group of speed pedelec owners were private owners (1). They own more than 19,500 speed pedelecs, or 92.4% of the total. The remaining speed pedelecs are registered on behalf of businesses, 1,600 in total. The ratio between privately and business owned speed pedelecs hasn’t changed much since 1 July 2017.

  Private owners of speed pedelecs were on average 51.5 years old on 1 July 2020. Some 66% are in between 45 and 65 years old.

  Groups of age	Number of speed pedelecs
  16 until 35	1,310
  35 until 45	3,497
  45 until 55	6,482
  55 until 65	6,535
  65 until 75	1,530
  >75	179

  On average the owners of speed pedelecs are younger compared to electric cycle owners (2). For the latter, most owners are found in the group of 65 to 75 years old.

  As a final remark, most of the speed pedelecs are registered in counties that have a relatively low urban density or in towns.

  Notes

  • = private owners are considered individuals, companies of 1 person, cooperatives/partnerships.
  • =  electric cycle of 250W 25 km/h

  Source: Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics.

  Photo by Klever Mobility

• FreeFlow Technologies secures £1.85M funding

  18:23 Comments Off on FreeFlow Technologies secures £1.85M funding

  30 November 2020 – FreeFlow Technologies (FFT), the developers of the world’s lightest power to weight e-bike motor and LEVA-EU Member has secured £1.85m from a heavily over-subscribed funding round. FFT prepares to capture a share of the rapidly growing global electric cycle market.

  The new investment will support a move to a new headquarters and R&D facility in East Kilbride and further strengthen the team with senior technical positions and assembly engineers recruited.

  

  FFT’s “novel” patented e-bike transmission system is more lightweight, compact and provides a higher power density than other products, with the motor and battery easily assembled into the bicycle frame rather than an oversized attachment as is common with current electric bikes. This achieves a look that makes the e-bike look, and ride like a normal bike, a key requirement for brands and their end customers. The company has also developed an unprecedented mechanical transmission system for fixed wheel bikes that allows the rider to freewheel, whilst retaining the smooth ride quality of fixed wheel.

  Martin McCourt, Chairman of FreeFlow Technologies said: “The e-Bike market is booming as many sections of society seek alternatives to public transport and take a greater interest in their personal health. Great trends that truly benefit our citizens and our environment. The FreeFlow drive system transforms the look and riding performance of e Bikes. Now an e-Bike can look like a normal bike, and ride like one!”

  There are already a number of brands working on frame designs to incorporate the new FreeFlow Technologies ETS (Electronic Transmission System) into bikes for launch into the market in 2021.

  The new funding round was led by investment syndicate Kelvin Capital and supported by Equity Gap, Foresight Williams and Scottish Enterprise.  The company raised £1.8m in an earlier funding round in October 2018.

  John McNicol from Kelvin Capital said:  “The events of 2020 has brought an unexpected rise in the number of people cycling and, in particularly e-Bike sales, something that hasn’t been seen since the 2012 Olympics.  Kelvin Capital is delighted to back FreeFlow Technologies with this investment round.  It is a business bringing innovation to a well-established market with an impressive management team including the ex-senior exec team of Dyson and business leadership from major cycling brands such as Cannondale, Rapha, Marin Bikes and Whyte Bikes.”

  David Hemming, Managing Director of FreeFlow Technologies:  “Before Covid hit the world the e-bike sector was forecasted to grow by double digits each year for the foreseeable future however the global pandemic has changed the way people think about bikes across all walks of life.  The needs of exercise and wellbeing and the need for a viable transportation options to and from work that is an alternative to public transport are now high on the public’s mind. David added: “The Covid pandemic has also accelerated the cargo/last mile delivery sector as well with many companies looking to get deliveries from suppliers to end consumers with increased urgency and efficiency.  This sector is also on a huge growth curve with e-Bikes being seen as a significant part of that solution, particularly in urban areas of the world.”

• The EU asssassination of e-bike businesses

  18:09 Comments Off on The EU asssassination of e-bike businesses

  The electric bicycle sector in Europe is currently suffering from a dire shortage of supply to meet demand. No one was prepared for COVID-19 and the market explosion that the virus caused. The worldwide stock of parts is exhausted and many electric bicycle dealers are only taking orders. But there is more to it. The scarcity is also a direct consequence of the trade policy that the EU has been pursuing since 1993 in the field of bicycles and electric bicycles. In doing so, the intention seems to be to eradicate part of the European e-bike sector. Be warned, it is a long and difficult story.

  ---

  Anti-dumping measures are temporary measures to solve a temporary problem. The exception to prove this rule is the anti-dumping measures on bicycles from China. They have been in place for 27 years. Despite the measures, there is no bicycle manufacturing left in the EU. For purely economic reasons, those who effectively produced bicycles, including the guiding forces behind the dumping complaint, have moved on to buying components, to a large extent in China, and assembling them into bicycles in the EU. In the meantime, assembly cost in the EU is in some instances lower than in China.

  Non-existent Union production

  Component production in the EU has also disappeared to the point where, in 2018, the EU decided to suspend regular import duties for a number of bicycle components. In Regulation 2018/2069 the Council states: “The Union production of 87 products (…) is inadequate or non-existent. It is therefore in the interest of the Union to suspend totally the autonomous CCT duties on those products.” These products included a number of bicycle components. The Regulation ensures the supply of these components from countries outside the EU, to a large extent from China.

  This Regulation was implemented even though in 1997 the EU extended the dumping measures for bicycles to some of the same bicycle components listed in the above Regulation. As a result of Regulation 88/97, if you wanted to import these components from China to assemble them into bicycles in the EU, you had to pay 48.5% so-called anti-circumvention duties. The Commission had found that the anti-dumping duties on bicycles were being circumvented in two ways:

  • by shipping semi- or completely knocked down bicycles, which only required minimum assembly in the EU
  • by transhipping containers with bikes from China through 3rd countries to be sold in the EU without anti-dumping duty.

  So, the EU extended the anti-dumping duties to some countries accused of assisting in transhipping, as well as to the import into the EU of certain components. However, assemblers in the EU were enabled to obtain an exemption from anti-circumvention duties on components from the Commission. They had to prove that no more than 59% of the value of their bikes consisted of Chinese components or that they added 25% to the value through their assembly.

  Almost all EU bicycle companies who applied in 1997 and shortly afterwards, obtained the exemption for an indefinite period and without much further ado. Obtaining an exemption in a later stage proved to be much more challenging. According to the Regulation, you must first import for at least 6 months, in other words pay an extra 48.5% on Chinese components before you can apply for an exemption. Not many start-ups would be able to overcome such a financial pitfall.  For one party we know of, the Commission took 4 years, whilst the applicant was subject to the 48.5%.

  27 years anti-dumping

  So, this measure is almost an insurmountable obstacle to start a new bike assembly operation in the EU. The companies behind the anti-dumping complaint saw their mission accomplished. The anti-dumping measures ensured that China would be kept away from their core business, i.e. mid- and high-range bicycles. What’s more, the exemption system for anti-circumvention duties ensured that very few new EU competitors would come on the market. Everything went on quietly. No more competition meant no opposition against five yearly reviews, which resulted in 5 extensions. Today, 27 years later there is no prospect of ever getting rid of this temporary measure for a temporary problem. This is all the more the case since the EU bicycle manufacturers now also rely on the anti-dumping measures against bicycle and bicycle components from China to secure a similar position in the EU e-bike market. This is how the fork is in the stem.

  Some but not all so-called EU bicycle manufacturers were involved in the e-bike trend from the beginning. Again, these “manufacturers” were not manufacturing e-bikes, they were buying parts assembling them into e-bikes. As for those e-bike components, Bosch at that time was non-existing in the e-bike world and Shimano was still doubting heavily as to the longevity of the new invention.

  Hesitation in the conventional bicycle sector allowed new companies to come on the market and thrive. Whilst the “old” EU bicycle companies were tied to the demand and expectations of their dealer-network, the new companies could choose between Internet, brick and mortar shops or both, whilst not carrying any history in negotiating distribution deals. Some of these EU companies became extremely successful and fast growing. They had managed to set up a lean and efficient supply chain in China. As a result, they offered more reasonably priced e-bikes and more tempting terms and conditions.

  0.9% below expectation

  Even though the EU market grew consistently, the EU bicycle assemblers were confronted with more competition, the inability to conquer Internet and e-bike growth being at the expense of their conventional bike business. So, once again they went to the Commission whom they had been frequenting so long. The Commission chose to believe the allegations about distressed EU manufacturers, thousands of EU jobs being under threat and assorted concoctions about cheap Chinese e-bikes flooding the market. The Commission found the profitability of the distressed companies to be 0.9% below their expectation and consequently hit large numbers of European companies assembling in China with up to 79.3% duties.

  These European companies had to turn their business plan upside down overnight. LEVA-EU assisted a group of 14 importers in this case. We calculated that the damage to these 14 alone, resulting just from the investigation amounted to € 100 million. When the duties became effective in January 2019, some EU assemblers definitively moved their activities to the EU, others went elsewhere in Asia.

  Of those who came to the EU, some managed to have their assembly being done by companies that had an exemption for conventional bicycle parts. But capacity in the EU was too limited to meet the full demand. So, others set up new assembly activities in the EU and very quickly ran into trouble again.

  Horror stories

  Everywhere in Europe, alarm bells at customers’ services went off. Essential bicycle components were imported by non-exempted parties. Not that they had any premeditated intention to circumvent the duties on essential bicycle parts. They were simply unaware of the fact that their electric bike parts were identical to bike parts subject to anti-circumvention duties. They were also unaware of the fact that the Commission had published Regulation 512/2013 as a result of which essential bicycle components were exempted from duties, if used for the assembly of e-bikes.

  Only, to obtain that exemption, you had to prove to customs that you were not using the parts for conventional bikes nor selling them to non-exempted parties. Only with a so-called end-use authorisation, were you allowed to import these components for e-bikes free of anti-circumvention duties. And the national customs’ services had the liberty of developing their own rules for proving end-use.

  Several young European companies have applied for end-use authorisation but are confronted with customs who are making their life extremely difficult. We have a growing collection of downright horror stories.

  Exclusive favour

  As said, companies that started from conventional bikes had an exemption and were using this to import components for electric bicycles. However, there was uncertainty as to the legality of this procedure. Last September, the Commission published a new Regulation as a result of which exemptions attributed for bicycle components are extended to include those components for electric bicycles.

  The Commission decided to grant this favour only to bicycle companies that also produce electric bicycles, not to companies that only produce electric bicycles. Also, the procedure appears to be automatic and the Regulation does not mention any procedure to control the system. The question is for instance what happens if components are imported for e-bikes but, in reality used for conventional bicycles, thus exceeding the 59% circumvention threshold.

  Whilst conventional bicycle assemblers who also assemble electric bicycles can rejoice over this extremely useful favour from the Commission, EU electric bike assemblers are suffering and sometimes confronted with the most surreal problems. Most of them are kept waiting by the customs for an end-use authorisation. One of these waiting assemblers has been recently raided by customs and accused of anti-circumvention, despite the fact that he has consistently paid 48.5% on the bike components in anticipation of the end-use authorisation. In another case, the customs are in the process of proving that the wheels with hub-motors he imported are components for conventional bikes. He had to pay 48.5% on them as a guarantee.

  Shutting doors

  In the meantime, the Commission continues to shut doors. Upon the duties announced in January 2019, some assemblers moved to countries with non-preferential origin such as Taiwan, Thailand or Malaysia. Recently, the Commission decided to change the rules of origin for these countries. An electric bike will only be considered to originate in these countries if 45% of the ex-works price is originating. The question is how many of these companies will be able to obtain a motor and/or battery in the country where they are assembling. Also, there is no transition period whilst, in normal times, lead-times for e-bikes are 3 to 6 months. Today, some companies have already ordered components for 2022.

  And what is the alternative for these companies? GSP and LDC countries are still an option today but how long before the EU shuts that door as well? In that case, they are only left with the option of assembly in the EU. Here however, they will have great difficulties to obtain end-use authorisation to be able to import certain components without 48.5%. And by now, there are no European bicycle assemblers with exemptions left who have any available capacity.

  The big losers?

  There is still one measure to be taken: anti-circumvention duties on e-bike components. Only those companies that today have secured the supply of motors and possibly also batteries from outside China are certain to survive such anti-circumvention measures. And those are … the EU bicycle assemblers who are behind the anti-dumping duties. Competition wiped out, supply secured, control over prices regained, Commission convinced to keep the measures on for the next 27 years … mission accomplished.

  Besides the EU companies that are bound to perish, who are the big losers? The EU-citizens! They will have to pay a lot more for their electric bikes. A lot less e-bikes will come on the market then what is needed to make mobility more sustainable.

  Furthermore, the chance to achieve climate goals will be considerably reduced. Again, the citizens loose. But the EU bicycle assemblers have even this covered since they have very close and friendly ties with the European cyclists’ congregation. And as for the Commission, it is ironic how one DG issues a Green Deal to throw billions at green mobility, while another DG is assisting in the assassination of part of the sector that should produce that green mobility. A rather special interpretation of the Biblical saying: do not let your left hand know what your right hand does.

  In light of all the above, LEVA-EU is consulting with lawyers on the possible infringement of EU competition rules and on possible court actions.

  Annick Roetynck,
  LEVA-EU Manager

  Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Unsplash