Tag Archive: E-bike market

  1. Mintel UK bike market prediction expects £1 billion in 2024

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    Source: Cycling Industry News

    The UK bike market is anticipated to undergo a positive shift in 2024, as indicated by the latest forecast from Mintel. The projections highlight growth areas in e-bikes, second-hand bicycles, and increased female participation in cycling.

    According to the research, new bicycle sales are expected to climb 12% in 2024, reaching 2.1 million bikes. This marks a recovery from previous years’ 11% decline to 1.9 million bike sales. This represents a total 42% drop from the peak in 2020 when 3.3 million bikes were sold.

    The forecast also predicts a 15% increase in the value of new bike sales, reaching nearly £1 billion (£998 million) in 2024. This follows a 15% decline in annual sales to £868 million in 2023, continuing a gradual fall in yearly bike sales since 2020.

    However, the prediction of rising bike sales in 2024 may spark debate within the industry, with high inventory levels and consumer spending power combining to limit market potential. The market has witnessed notable difficulties, including high profile administrations, redundancies, buyouts, and rescue loans in response to challenging market conditions.

    Mintel’s report also anticipates growth in the UK’s e-bike market, with electric assist bicycles being the preferred choice for cyclists in the coming year. Approximately 19% of prospective bike buyers plan to purchase an e-bike, signalling a potential uptick in this segment.

    Of particular interest is the increasing interest in cycling among women aged 16-64, with over 40% of women under 45 and 34% of those aged 45-64 expressing interest in cycling. This is interesting to contrast with recent discussions on women’s cycling experiences in London.

    Furthermore, the report highlights a growing preference for second-hand bicycles, posing a potential threat to new bike sales. Half of current and potential cyclists indicate a greater likelihood of considering a used bicycle compared to the previous year.

    Mintel’s Category Director for Leisure Research underscores the impact of rising living costs on demand for new bikes, citing a recovery in demand driven by easing inflation, wage growth, and retailer discounts. The cost of living has also led 34% of Brits to cycle more to reduce spending on petrol and public transport. Looking ahead, continued investment in cycling infrastructure and a focus on sustainable travel are expected to further drive demand. Nevertheless, the expanding second-hand market, including major players like Halfords, presents a challenge to the growth of new bike sales.

  2. Trenergy offers dealer tours of new premises

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    Source: NieuwsFiets

    Following excellent development, LEVA-EU member and e-bike brand Trenergy relocated into an upgraded facility, and now offers dealers the chance to explore the new location

    For Trenergy, this year’s dealer cycle was not only dominated by the innovations in its collection, but also by the presentation of the new building. Dealers were offered a tour of the offices, the spacious warehouse, and finally the showroom, where the bicycles were presented. Trenergy director Taco Reydon also shared that additional development of the showroom is planned for the future, further amplifying Trenergy’s offering to prospective clients.

    Reydon and sales manager René Driessen notice that the dealers are becoming more careful when ordering new bicycles, and have observed shifts in market behavior, “The past year has been crazy. Some customers ordered two to three more than usual because they wanted to be assured of bicycles. But someone who normally does 100 bicycles will not suddenly sell 300,” explains Driessen. “And when we wanted to deliver the ordered bicycles, it sometimes didn’t work out. In good consultation, we then started canceling bicycles, which we were able to sell to other dealers. That is why we now prefer that entrepreneurs order slightly less, but then purchase it.”

    “But besides telling the dealers to think carefully about their order, they naturally do that themselves too,” adds Reydon. “They notice that many other suppliers are also starting to deliver. Moreover, the prospects are uncertain due to, for example, the high energy bills. We hope, of course, that people will leave the car at home more often and take the bike more often, but dealers are not all ready to anticipate this yet. But if you ensure that you have a nice range and an organization with which dealers can work well together, then you will be fine.”

    Outside of hometown developments, Trenergy expanded into the Belgian markets during 2021 and will continue its development through this year.

  3. Hirschvogel sets target on green mobility manufacturing

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    Source: Cycling Industry News, M. Sutton

    LEVA-EU member Hirschvogel is one of the world’s largest motor vehicle parts suppliers. Now, the auto giant shifts its focus towards ‘green business’

    In its move to compete in the green and light mobility market, including that of bicycles, the business has dedicated 67% of its 2021 investment into such sectors; this equates to approximately €174 million. For context, the group consolidated sales of €1.25 billion in 2018 and employs over 6,000.

    This new focus should come as no surprise after the group revealed some 70% of orders for parts won in 2021 were associated with ‘green businesses’, with this trend continuing into 2022.

    “The focus is on green business, the “green” business around CO2 – emission-free mobility concepts. In order to ensure growth and employment at all locations for future generations as well, we are currently aligning the components business in the automotive sector with high pressure towards e-mobility and drive independence. At the same time, we would like to grow through company investments in related technologies and markets,” says Jörg Rückauf, the company CEO.

  4. Dutch e-Bike and Bicycle market falls 15.9% in 2021

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    Source: Bike Europe

    The newly published industry association RAI market research report shows only 923,000 bicycles and e-bikes sold in the Netherlands during 2021. In comparison, the 2020 figure stood at 1,098,000, equating to a 15.9% market shrink in 2021. This drop is attributed to current supply chain issues having a direct impact on product availability, triggering the record high drop in sales volume.

  5. German cargo-bike market continues to bulk-up with 100,000 sales in 2020

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    Source: Forbes

    A ‘pandemic bike boom’ has catapulted the German and wider European cargo-bike market towards an estimated growth of 40-50% in 2021

    As European cities continue to grow in size and density, road space has become increasingly scarce. In tandem, online shopping has become the new norm, so it is unsurprising that in locations such as the UK, van traffic has seen a 71% increase over the last 20 years; for comparison, car traffic saw a 13% growth in the same period. More vans equate to more congestion, more pollution, and slower delivery times. In Germany, the cargo-bike is powering onto the scene with such ferocity that leading magazine Bike Europe stated that the bikes have quickly “[changed] the look of streets” in many cities.

    Six years ago, in 2016, annual German cargo-bike sales stood at 15,000, in 2020 sales reached 100,000; today, the pandemic induced ‘bike boom’ has led to manufacturers estimating they experienced growth of 40-50% in 2021. When discussing modern city planning Walther Ploos van Amstel, a professor of city logistics at Amsterdam University, argues that “trucks… need to become smarter, cleaner, quieter, smaller and safer.” to remain viable – electric cargo-bikes already fulfill all of these criteria.

    This spike in interest correlates to businesses begining to identify the range of benefits that electric cargo-bikes may bring to their operations in urban areas. In many cities, trips made by cargo-bikes are often more efficient during both travel and delivery procedure (parking, unloading, etc.). Consequently, policymakers are further accelerating the electric cargo-bike trend on a local and national scale, offering subsidies, trial schemes, and rebates. Cargo-bikes make up a crucial step in the marathon that is transforming European cities into climate-neutral locations.

    Electric-cargo-bike

  6. E-Bike imports into EU shrink with more than 30%

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    In 2018, there were still more than 1 million electric bicycles with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h and 250W imported[i] into the EU. On 18 January 2019, the European Commission published its decision to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on electric bicycles, which had an immediate effect. In 2019, imports from outside the EU shrunk with more than 30% to a little over 750,000.

    Taiwan wins

    The decrease in EU imports was entirely at the expense of China, which saw its result decimated from + 660,000 to just over 107,000. The biggest winner outside Europe of this decision was Taiwan. The country exported 338,570 e-bikes into the EU, 80% more than the previous year. Vietnam ended second in the top ten of exporters, but its export increased hardly: only 1.1% to just under 155,000. It is very likely that the Vietnamese result will be considerably higher this year, among other things due to the ratification of the free trade agreement with the EU.

    New players

    There are a few remarkable newcomers in the top 10. Malaysia in 8th position grew its export to the EU from virtually nothing to just under 11,000. Exports from Indonesia, on 9, remained relatively low at around 3,500, a result similar to that of the Cambodian export, which pushed the country from 7th to 9th position. Thailand booked a “modest” increase of just under 40% to a total of almost 16,000 and remained in 5th position. Turkey, in a customs union with the EU, managed only to a limited extent to benefit from the measures taken against China; it imported around 13,000 bikes, which was almost 5.5 times more than in 2018. Last year, China lost in volume a total of 552,508 electric bicycles. The countries in the top 10 (without Switzerland) have scooped up 37.7% of that loss, i.e. 208,493 bikes.

    Average value

    Switzerland is the country in the top 10 that has exported the most expensive e-bikes to the European Union. Their average value was € 1,714, that is a 7.5% increase. Surprisingly, in second place is Cambodia with € 1,129, almost double the value of 2018. In third place comes Taiwan, which only marginally increased its average value with 5.5% to € 1,055. The average value of imports from Thailand, Turkey and Indonesia all decreased with percentages under 10 and ended up anywhere between 500 and € 660. Remarkably enough, the average value of e-bikes from Japan only reached € 483, very close to the average Chinese value in 2018 of € 443. In conclusion, the average value of the total European import increased with 38.7% to € 836.

    Dumping?

    With the imposition of duties on e-bikes from China, quite a number of Chinese assemblers and their customers moved their operations to Taiwan. That explains why import volume increased with 80%. If there would have been dumping at a scale as argued by EBMA and endorsed by the Commission, then these accused Chinese assemblers would have dragged the average Taiwanese value down. The fact that the opposite has happened is quite telling.
    Obviously, what little assembly is left in China now can only be in the lowest price range. With anti-dumping and countervailing duties up to almost 80%, mid- and high-range e-bikes produced in China obviously become unsellable in the EU. And so the average value of e-bikes from China has dropped with almost 42% to € 258.

    EU export

    Last year, the EU has exported 138,000 e-bikes, a modest growth of almost 16%. The three main customers are Switzerland, Norway and the US. The average value, which was already high in 2018, increased with another 2.7% to € 1,587. The total value of European exported e-bikes was € 219 million, an increase of 19%. That is still about 3 times less than the total import value, which ended up at € 629 million in 2019, almost 4% less than in 2018.

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    [i] All numbers in this article only concern e-bikes with pedal assistance up to 25 km/h and 250W, CN Code 8711 60 10. The results for other electric bicycles are not available from Eurostat yet.

    Photo by Diego Fernandez on Unsplash

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