E-Bikes: Star on Growing German Market

COLOGNE, Germany – 4.6 million bikes were sold in Germany in 2007; plus 4% compared to the 2006 total. In percentages e-Bikes were the absolute star with sales since 2005 growing almost 300% to 65,000 units in 2007. This was reported by the German industry association ‘Zweirad –Industrie-Verband’, ZIV yesterday.

Also for the coming years electric bicycles (pedelecs) will be the bestseller in Germany. ZIV expects e-Bike sales in Germany to grow to about 80,000 to 100,000 units this year. As prices for e-Bikes in Germany range between € 800 and € 4,000, the German Industry Association forecasts a firm contribution on the total turnover in bikes and bike products in 2008. That total turnover in new bike sales amounted 1.686 billion Euro in 2007.

Last year e-Bikes accounted for 1.5% of all bike sales in Germany. Trekking Bikes remained the number one category. In 2007 one out of every three bikes sold in Germany was a Trekking Bike; followed by City Bikes with a 23% market share; MTB 12% and ATB (which by ZIV are defined as MTB in City-trim) 11%. Road racing and Fitness bikes made up 7.5% of the market and kids bikes 9%.

Back on Track

According to ZIV MD Rolf Lemberg (see picture); with last year’s 4% growth, the German bike market is back on track after the 2006 drop in sales. Remarkable in ZIV’s facts and figures on 2007, is the growth in market share realized by IBDs. Dealers control now 59% of all bike sales in units (3% more than in 2006) and 77% in value. The average price for a new bike was € 368; 20 Euro more than in 2006 which is also contributed to a raise in VAT last year in Germany.

Looking at the 2007 production, import and export figures for Germany, it shows that production was down 90,000 units (-3.6%) to 2.4 million. Imports however were up big with a 13% or 300,000 units increase to 2,757,000 bikes. The export of bikes from Germany was after the 2006 increase of 27% also in 2007 up big; a 19% plus was recorded to 575,000 bikes.