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.

• QWIC e-bikes kicks off with international expansion in Britain

  21/09/2020 21:32 Comments Off on QWIC e-bikes kicks off with international expansion in Britain

  LEVA-EU member QWIC, the Dutch e-bike brand, has established itself in England. With the opening of QWIC shop-in-shops in London and Rye, QWIC kicks off with international expansion in Britain.

  England is a growth market for electric bicycles. The demand for e-bikes, which was small until now, is increasing sharply in a short time. With the opening of the QWIC points of sale in London and Rye, QWIC is responding to this changing bicycle market.

  “The current circumstances have accelerated the transition to sustainable mobility. We also see this in England. This offers opportunities that fit our ambitious expansion plans”, said Taco Anema, CEO & founder of QWIC.

  E-bike trend England
  Since the COVID-19 outbreak earlier this year, the interest and demand for e-bikes in England has risen sharply. The British government is committed to structurally improving the cycling infrastructure. For example, on May 11, 2020, the UK Department announced a £ 2 billion investment in cycling and walking infrastructure, with the aim of doubling the number of cyclists and walkers over the next five years. The City of London has unveiled a new Streetspace plan to give cyclists more space and reduce pressure on public transport in the city.

  International ambitions
  QWIC’s international plans are ambitious. At the beginning of this year, the Amsterdam bicycle brand announced that it had received 10 million in investment for further international expansion, as well as the development and introduction of a new generation of e-bikes.

• Agressive Customs’ Actions against EU E-Bike Companies

  19:43 Comments Off on Agressive Customs’ Actions against EU E-Bike Companies

  Some time ago LEVA-EU has launched and appeal to report customs’ actions against e-bike companies. We have since received several reports on a variety of actions against European electric bicycle companies. 

  The allegations are quite diverse but include among other things:

  • Buying from a European supplier who is suspected of circumventing anti-dumping duties on electric bicycles from China
  • Using incorrect HS codes to avoid anti-circumvention duties on bicycle components
  • Illegal application of rules of origin for e-bikes that are produced outside the EU and China

  These reports have allowed us to get a clearer picture of the situation. We are currently taking legal advice as to how to respond to these actions. In the meantime, we herewith repeat our appeal. The more cases known to us, the better we can assess the situation and respond accurately.

  We are therefore calling again on European electric bike companies that have recently experienced a similar customs’ action, to report this to LEVA-EU. We do of course guarantee anonymity.

  Cases can be reported by phoning or mailing LEVA-EU Manager Annick Roetynck: +32 475 500 58, annick@leva-eu.com.

• LEVA-EU Supports SBS Call on UK to keep EU standards after Brexit

  19:39 Comments Off on LEVA-EU Supports SBS Call on UK to keep EU standards after Brexit

  Brussels, 14 September 2020 – As talks between the UK and the EU reach a decisive point, Small Business Standards (SBS), the association representing European Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in standardisation, has published a position paper stressing the importance of standardisation and conformity assessment in relation to trade and the future UK-EU relationship. LEVA-EU fully supports SBS’s on the UK.

  Standards and conformity assessment procedures play an essential role in trade. They can facilitate market access by reducing trade barriers and transaction costs, or in the case of diverging standards and conformity assessment procedures, create technical obstacles and impose additional testing and certification. Standardisation and conformity assessment are thus key elements that need to be carefully addressed in the future UK-EU relationship.

  Today 95% of British standards are identical to the international and European ones. If the UK were to depart from the European standardisation system and develop its own solutions, it would be particularly costly for SMEs across both sides of the channel. Standards are widely used by SMEs to assess, test, trade and produce compatible products within tightly integrated value chains.

  According to the position paper published by SBS, future cooperation on standardisation between the UK and the EU should be based on the key principles of European legislation including the transparency of processes, facilitation of stakeholder participation, access to information and draft standards. The UK should also keep its commitment to the single standard model whereby one single standard is in use across the EU and the UK on any given issue.

  The mutual acceptance of test results and certificates is also important for SMEs for which paying twice for the same test can be prohibitive. Mutual recognition should be based on accreditation and relevant international standards. The position paper also highlights the need to keep a level playing field to prevent the creation of backdoors to import goods from third countries into the EU.

  The position paper can be consulted through the following link. 

• LEVA-EU unveils new look during EU Mobility Week

  19:02 Comments Off on LEVA-EU unveils new look during EU Mobility Week

  Trade association LEVA-EU, the sole voice for the light electric vehicle sector, has unveiled a new logo, a rebrand and a new website to make it easier for businesses to receive vital assistance navigating legislation.

  The organisation, which campaigns tirelessly for LEV-manufacturers, importers, distributors and brands, launched its new website during European Mobility Week, which runs from 16-22 September and shines a spotlight on the importance of accessibility to zero-emission transport.

  The body now has a cleaner and more distinct logo to take it forward to the next stage of its work, which includes influencing and monitoring EU legislation.

  The new website,  leva-eu.com, offers clearer and better presented information for members, who are often faced with complicated legislation to navigate to get their products to market. The logo and website have been created by UK based marketing agency Polaris Media and design firm the Modern Agency.

  LEVA-EU, which is an authority on European rules and regulations on light electric vehicles, also offers members access to studies and statistics to help them discuss market trends and developments as well as opportunities to network and share knowledge.

  The website includes new pages on LEVA-EU positions, case studies, partners, testimonials and events. Businesses can also advertise on the website and weekly newsletter and showcase job vacancies and light electric vehicle events.

  The organisation’s successes include having its plea for removing the legal bottlenecks on light electric vehicles heard, which has led to research to change legislation to allow for a broader diversity of LEVs to be classed separately to motorbikes and mopeds.

  LEVA-EU has also succeeded in averting retroactive collection of duties, which saved some companies large amounts of money, when an anti-dumping complaint against imports of e-bikes from China was made by the European Bicycle Manufacturers’ Association (EBMA).

  Annick Roetynck, manager of LEVA-EU, said the new look heralded the start of a bright future for LEVA-EU, as more people discovered the benefits of switching to light electric vehicles.

  She said: “Light electric vehicles are the future of transport and LEVA-EU is committed to influencing policies to ensure businesses can trade smoothly in this critical sector. However, it can be time-consuming and costly to find your way through the maze of regulations for light electric vehicles, time and money that would be better spent on growing your business.”

  “Our experts are here to guide businesses through these complicated regulations, so it is only right that our website makes this process simple too. We look forward to connecting with even more organisations and continuing to fight for our members in the corridors of power.”

  Any company, organisation or individual who has an interest in the European light electric vehicle market can become a member of LEVA-EU. The membership fee depends on the number of staff in their organisation. Contact Annick Roetynck, annick@leva-eu.com, tel. +32 475 500 588.

• CAKE Ösa Wins 2021 German Design Award

  09:54 Comments Off on CAKE Ösa Wins 2021 German Design Award

  LEVA-EU member CAKE, the Swedish manufacturer of lightweight electric off-road performance motorcycles, is honored to win the Excellent Product Design – Utility Vehicles category of the German Design Council’s 2021 German Design Award.

  This award goes to CAKE’s Ösa model, which also received a Special Mention in the category of Excellent Product Design – Eco Design. The annual awards celebrate projects that truly represent pioneering contributions to the German and international design landscape. CAKE previously won the German Design Award for its Kalk OR motorbike in 2018.

  “Being recognized for the Ösa by the German Design Council is a true honor and amplifies CAKE’s mission of inspiring towards a zero-emission society—combining excitement with responsibility,” commented Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of CAKE. “While the Ösa is a super simple and easy to operate motorcycle, it’s a somewhat complex creation; it’s an electric vehicle that has the modularity of LEGO—sort of a hybrid between a truck and a Swiss Army knife. While it serves individual needs for transportation, its main attribute is the ability to facilitate so many activities while off the bike through its mobile power station. The access to power can bring traditional pursuits to new, virgin places and create entirely new experiences. The possibilities for adventure and work are nearly limitless and that’s something we’re super excited to enable for riders around the world.”

  The German Design Council, the expert for brand and design in Germany, bestows the German Design Award. Commissioned by the highest authority to represent new developments in the German design industry, the German Design Award directly contributes to the overall commercial success. Prizes are only awarded to projects that truly represent pioneering contributions to the German and international design landscape. Established on the initiative of the German Bundestag (the lower house of German parliament) as a foundation in 1953, it supports the industry in all matters consistently aimed at generating an added brand value through design.

• Belgian, Dutch and German LEV Markets 2020

  10/09/2020 11:13 Comments Off on Belgian, Dutch and German LEV Markets 2020

  The Netherlands

  As for electric bicycle sales in the Netherlands, by the 1 June 2020, a total of 149,000 e-bikes had been sold. This is a 12% increase compared to the first five months of 2019. In the month of  May alone, around 58,000 electric bicycles have been sold, which is an all-time month record and growth of 38.0% compared to May 2019 according a GfK study commissioned by BOVAG.

  In the first nine months of this year a total of 3,754 speed pedelecs (L1e-B) have been sold according to Raivereniging. This represent a growth of around 55.1% compared to 2019 (2,421). At the top of the sales’ charts remains Stromer, who sold most speed pedelecs in the Netherlands both in the first nine months of 2019 and 2020. Gazelle and Riese & Müller came respectively second and third in 2020, switching their 2019 positions.

  Belgium

  Accurate statistics about electric bicycles sales in Belgium are hardly available. However, there is up to date information on the registration of speed pedelecs (L1e-B) at the Dienst Inschrijving Voertuigen (DIV). A total of 9,636 speed have been registered at the DIV in the first 9 months of 2020.  This is a decrease of 3.1% compared to the same period in 2019.

  In Belgium there are 2 types of electric mopeds that are allowed on the road: category A with a maximum design speed of 25 km/h and category B with a maximum design speed of 45 km/h.

  A total of 416 electric A-mopeds have been registered at the DIV in the first nine months in 2020. This is an increase of  28.0% compared to the same period last year. As for electric B-mopeds, a total of 1,553 were registered as opposed to  3,211 registrations for the same period in 2019, that is 51.6%. This bad result is due to the sudden and unexpected decision to stop subsidies for electric mopeds.

  For Belgium and the Netherlands, it is worth noting that the corona lockdown has delayed supplies and therefore also registrations of speed pedelecs and electric mopeds. It remains to be seen whether the backlog will be made up in the rest of the year.

  Germany

  According to data by the German bicycle industry organization ZIV, around 1.1 million e-bikes have been sold in the first six months of 2020. This represents a growth of just under 16% compared to the same period last year. It is unknown to what extend speed pedelecs are included within this data.

  In the case of electric motorcycle registrations, there were a total of 1,045 pieces registered in Germany this year. Compared to the same period in 2019, that is a slight increase of just over 3.5% according data by ACEM.

  Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash

• Meet Taiwanese Suppliers Online

  03/09/2020 12:53 Comments Off on Meet Taiwanese Suppliers Online

  The Taiwan Trade Centre London (TAITRA) has informed us of a new opportunity to meet Taiwanese suppliers online. Trade with Europe 2020 will be held virtually on Wednesday 7th of October between 7.30 and 11 am UK time (GMT+1).

  Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) and TAITRA are co-hosting this event, aiming to promote Taiwan-Europe bilateral business cooperation. Virtual one-on-one business meetings facilitated by TAITRA will enable European businesses to tap into Taiwan’s global supply chain.

  • To avoid undue competition among Taiwanese suppliers, participating buyers who have previously procured a certain item from a Taiwanese supplier may not enquire about/procure the same item from another supplier during this event.
  • Buyers must provide details of products sought and participate in trade meeting(s) with at least five Taiwanese companies (30 minutes per meeting).

  To register, buyers should outline the products they are interested in sourcing using this Google Form: https://forms.gle/MPpdQEBGxRmgBxDz7. Next, TAITRA will provide a shortlist of suitable suppliers. Finally, online meetings will be arranged with the suppliers that buyers choose to connect with. Please note that the sign-up deadline is tomorrow 4 September. For any questions, please contact Adèle Sreeves (asreeves@taitra.org.tw) at the Taiwan Trade Centre London.

  Please note that, after this TAITRA event, members are still welcome to contact us should you be looking for specific suppliers in Taiwan. We will then consult with TAITRA as to suitable suppliers for your specific needs: annick@leva-eu.com, tel. +32 9 233 60 05

  Photo by Tom Ritson on Unsplash

• LEVA-EU offers free Battery Transport Info through Cross-Industry Platform BatteriesTransport.org

  01/09/2020 15:35 Comments Off on LEVA-EU offers free Battery Transport Info through Cross-Industry Platform BatteriesTransport.org

  Brussels/Washington D.C., 1 September 2020 – The industry associations for batteries and battery-powered products RECHARGE, EPBA, EUROBAT, PRBA, EBRA, ACEA, MDBTC as well as LEVA-EU announced today the launch of a new information platform for the safe transportation, testing and packaging of battery cells, batteries, and vehicles and equipment containing batteries. With the aim of facilitating access to battery-specific transport information and raising awareness, the eight associations make available free and easy-to-understand content on the requirements as set out by the United Nations, the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) and other transport regulations.

  The professional transport of battery-related articles – via air, sea or road – is subject to international, national and regional regulatory frameworks, which include comprehensive administrative and operational measures to ensure the safe transport at all times. The requirements apply to lead-, lithium-, nickel- and sodium-based batteries likewise.

  “Transporting an electro-chemical article, as a prototype, final product or waste, means that specific safety measures must be applied. Failing to comply with the obligations is not just a violation of these regulations but a safety risk that our industry is not willing to accept”, said the associations. “Representing a responsible industry, we want to ensure that everyone involved in the transport of our batteries and battery-containing products has access to the applicable requirements”.

  Free of charge, BatteriesTransport.org offers general information for shippers, transport operators and end-users. It also includes frequently asked questions and two dedicated eBooks with all relevant testing, packaging, labeling and reporting instructions per transport mode.

  LEVA-EU Manager Annick Roetynck explains that is quite natural for LEVA-EU to participate in this initiative: “As a professional organization for LEV companies, we are fully focused on assisting our members in the application of all the rules that apply to Light Electric Vehicles. The rules regarding the transport of Li-Ion batteries cover an important chapter in this. A better understanding of the rules gives LEV companies easier access to the market, thereby promoting that market. That in turn contributes to making mobility more sustainable.”

  All visitors of BatteriesTransport.org have access to a free on-line version of the eBook on lithium batteries as well as to the FAQ page. LEVA-EU Members have access to the full version of the eBook and can submit specific questions on the transport of Li-Ion batteries to the experts of BatteriesTransport.org.

  BatteriesTransport.org works with some of the most respected experts in the industry to provide information that is clear, comprehensive and updated. The content is revised on a (bi-)annual basis to reflect the regular changes to the regulatory frameworks. Contact email@batteriestransport.org to support the initiative and help educate on the safe transport of batteries worldwide. Contact annick@leva-eu.com for further information on LEVA-EU.

• Commission Asks TRL to Revise Technical + Road Use Rules for ALL LEVs

  27/08/2020 17:09 Comments Off on Commission Asks TRL to Revise Technical + Road Use Rules for ALL LEVs

  On behalf of the European Commission, TRL has started an investigation into the appropriateness and accuracy of European rules governing light, electric vehicles. The Commission had announced this research at the LEVA-EU symposium in February but then seemed to indicate that the scope would be limited to “Personal Mobility Devices”, i.e. e-scooters, self-balancing vehicles, monowheels, etc. The scope now appears to include all LEVs, which creates a unique opportunity to prove the need for fundamental change.

  Last February, LEVA-EU organised a symposium on the legal status and market position of the speed pedelec. This symposium, attended by the European Commission, clearly showed how European technical rules result in great difficulties for manufacturers and that the categorisation as L-vehicle create great safety risks for speed pedelec riders.

  Speed pedelecs are not the only LEVs suffering from inadequate and outdated rules. As electric cargo-bikes take up an ever increasing role in city logistics, the 250W limit to keep them out of the L-category becomes an ever increasing obstacle. There are legal bottlenecks for LEVs excluded from the L-category just as well. Some Member States, such as the Netherlands and the UK, still forbid e-scooters on public roads. Other Member States develop their own technical rules, thus undermining the principle of European harmonisation and the single market. The national terms of use for electric tricycles and quadricycles, excluded from the L-category are totally unclear and uncertain.

  E-scooters with saddles or very light mopeds, which are technically very similar if not identical to e-scooters without saddles are not excluded from the L-category. They are therefore subject to an extremely complicated, expensive though inaccurate type-approval, upon which they are subject to the terms of use for conventional mopeds including the wear of a motorcycle helmet.

  The only LEV to enjoy a much better regulatory framework is the electric bicycle with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h and 250W. This vehicle has been excluded from the L-category, as a result of which it became subject to the Machinery Directive. This has allowed for the harmonised standard EN 15194, whilst all member states have given this e-bike the same legal status as conventional bicycles. As a result, this market has been growing very steadily for several decades now.

  But to make mobility more sustainable and green, the EU needs a wider variety of LEVs. Markets, other than e-bikes 25 km/h-250W, such as speed pedelecs have only enjoyed a limited growth even though there is a clear potential. Or, the vehicles are under threat of very sudden and arbitrary changes in national rules that could suddenly destroy the market. The response of the Dutch government to the Stint accident is the best example of such threat. The insane penalties decreed by France for LEVs exceeding their speed limitation by construction is yet another sword of Damocles for the sector.

  LEVA-EU has been pleading and working for a fundamental change of the rules ever since its foundation. Without such change, the EU will never be able to achieve its Green Deal’s objectives, which include a 90% GHG emission reduction by 2050.

  At the February symposium, the EC representative announced the Commission’s intention to order a study on how LEVs, such as e-scooters and self-balancing vehicles (PMDs) could be included in the type-approval. This study has very recently been initiated by TRL and its scope appears to be broader than what the Commission announced in February.

  TRL is calling on all LEV stakeholders for their input. TRL is interested “to hear about the effects of national and regional regulations on the safety of, and market for, PMDs. We are also interested to hear any ideas that stakeholders might have for the best ways in which new and existing PMDs could be regulated in order to safely and efficiently integrate them into road use. We understand that the scope of this project includes vehicles that might already be type approved in the L category, e.g. cycles designed to pedal and cargo bikes and we are therefore open to suggestions regarding any improvements that could be made to that system.”

  LEVA-EU is extremely pleased with this widened scope that allows for research into the accuracy of the rules, not only for PMDs such as e-scooters and self-balancing vehicles but also speed pedelecs, electric cargo-bikes, electric bikes with more than 250W (L1e-A), etc. Further good news is the fact that TRL is not only going to consider technical regulations but also road circulation measures to ensure the safe deployment of these machines in the EU and the effect of regulation on the PMD market in the EU. Current problems are to a large part resulting from the fact that Regulation 168/2013 was designed without any consideration as to the effect of the technical categorisation on the terms of use for the vehicles.

  LEVA-EU herewith calls upon ALL stakeholders concerned to state their views on current LEV-regulations as well as their proposals for improving the rules. TRL is currently collecting input and plans a webinar some time in September.

  For all further details, please contact LEVA-EU Manager Annick Roetynck, tel. + 32 9 233 60 05, email annick@leva-eu.com.