E-Bikes Finally Included in EU Strategy on e-Vehicles

BRUSSELS, Belgium – The European Commission brought forward an action plan on electric cars. Thought out partly as a support scheme for the European automotive industry and partly as an initiative to green transport, this first call did not contain any reference to alternative electric vehicles such as bicycles or scooters. Luckily that changed. 

The Commission, when it expanded its mandate to a strategy on “clean and energy-efficient vehicles”, did not foresee the inclusion of two-wheelers in its document. However following the European Two-Wheeler Retailers Association (ETRA)’s active participation in the consultation process, the final submission, which contains an action plan for the roll-out of electric vehicles until 2030, includes two- and three-wheelers subject to type-approval in its scope of application.

Furthermore, the motion for a resolution issued by the European Parliament on 28 April 2010 also contains some key elements for the take-over of electric vehicles in Europe, explicitly including electric bicycles. It recognises the contribution of e-bikes to sustainable transport policy including “reduction of accidents, space use, reduced congestion, total energy consumption, CO2 emissions, noise and gaseous emissions”, and highlights the most important challenges in terms of skills, interoperability and smart grids which will in time also affect electric bicycles and other two-wheelers.

The electric bicycle business is a significant sector in the European economy, with significant employment, investment, research and development and a strong multiplier effect. The inclusion of electric bicycles in the European Strategy on clean and energy-efficient vehicles is a fundamental step in rating the potential of electric bicycles at their true value and in giving these vehicles the recognition they deserve in European policies.

However ETRA strongly believes that this recognition is only a first step in what should become a systematic reference to cycling and two-wheelers in all European strategies for green transport and growth. In particular, ETRA is now strongly lobbying for increased recognition of (electric) bicycles in the European Commission’s upcoming White Paper on transport policy until 2020.