LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Chinese e-bikes have once again been implemented in a customs fraud case involving the evasion of duties when importing products into the EU market. Under the code-name Calypso, a complex scheme was exposed which led to raids across several EU member states. The total damage of the activities under investigation is estimated at approximately €700 million, although it is unclear how much of this is directly attributed to e-bike fraud.

HEERENVEEN, the Netherlands - Intense discounting drove Accell Group's revenue down by 22% from €1,294 million in 2023 to €1,003 million last year. The company reports that the results were heavily impacted by one-offs, while market conditions remained challenging.

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany - The devastating impact of the extreme oversupply situation, combined with a postponed market recovery, became apparently visible at Eurobike 2025. The downward spiral has spread across the entire industry, impacting innovation and marketing alike, resulting in a lower visitor turnout and a shift in marketing budgets.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - With two new models released this month as part of the S6 series, is VanMoof set to become the comeback kid of the bicycle industry?

PALENCIA, Spain - To develop solutions that improve the efficiency and performance of e-bikes, Mahle SmartBike Systems has announced a new investment round of between €10 and €12 million annually in R&D. The announcement came shortly after Mahle CEO Arnd Franz stated that, "the e-bike sector was their standout success, supplying more than 60 e-bike brands across all segments."

SCHRAMBERG, Germany - The financial results published by e-bike motor component manufacturer hGears are an important indicator of the market expectations of leading European e-bike brands. For the first quarter of 2025, hGears reports a 32.1% sales decline for its e-bike division. For the rest of 2025, hGears expects a further decline of the e-bike market.

BRUSSELS, Belgium — The Belgian e-bike brand is in hot water after customers called out unexpectedly long wait times and a lack of transparency from the company. It's safe to say Cowboy has had a rough start to the year, as the e-bike manufacturer has attempted to navigate a production relocation, frame recall and now backordering issue - all in the span of a few months.

LYON, France - Folding e-bike manufacturer Eovolt has its sights set on being more than just that. To support further internationalisation and entry into other non-electric categories, the French manufacturer is rebranding to UTO. "It is a new name to symbolise the brand we have become over the years," CEO Baptiste Fullen told Bike Europe during Eurobike.

EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands - Shimano Europe has launched Nextgen Mechanics, a new call for evidence aimed at tackling the growing shortage of skilled bicycle mechanics across Europe. The collaborative initiative with Cycling Industries Europe aims to bring in a broad alliance of stakeholders committed to strengthening the profession, raising standards, and inspiring the next generation of cycle mechanics.

PARIS, France - Upway, the online platform for reconditioned electric bikes, has launched a strategic partnership with the Spanish bike brand Orbea to give e-bikes a second life and support the sales of new e-bikes at the same time. In a move to strengthen the circular economy of e-bikes by including established industry players, a trade-in program is now live at Orbea retailers across several European countries.

FRANKFURT, Germany - There are big changes ahead for Eurobike starting in 2026, as the trade fair refocuses on sport cycling and the world of performance bikes. Organiser Fairnamic also announced the launch of Mobifuture, a new trade show dedicated entirely to electric micromobility.

FRANKFURT, Germany—The German industry association ZIV opened Eurobike with positive market news, but its CEO, Burkhard Stork, toned down expectations. "The sales and production figures for the first quarter this year are very positive, but the market recovery could not be continued from April and May 2025," said Stork on Tuesday.

TAIPEI, Taiwan - For the first 4 months of the year, Taiwanese customs data showed that the country's bicycle industry was showing the first signs of recovery after years of global market stagnation. Both e-bike and component exports rose in the first quarter of 2025, driven by increasing demand for high-value products and improved average unit prices. However, preliminary export data for May shows that this growth has not been sustained.

ZEIST, The Netherlands - Will the European e-bike market ever reach the market share of 70%-80% that industry insiders dreamed of during the boom years of 2017-2019? An overview of e-bike market share by sales volume in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain and Switzerland clearly shows a slowdown in sales and even a contraction in some markets.

Will the e-bike market in Europe ever reach a market share of 70% or even 80%, as predicted by industry insiders during the boom years of 2017-2019? An overview of e-bike market share by sales volume in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Switzerland clearly shows a slowdown in sales, and even a contraction in some markets, but there are some silver linings. This online magazine examines the current sales trends across Europe.

ANNECY, France - The developing X-Tend e-bike system for road and gravel was one of the more valuable assets the Bourrelier group acquired Mavic in 2020. Making the product ready for mass production, and subsequently for the market, was a big challenge. Mavic overcame this undertaking and is currently consulting interested OEMs.

ZEIST, the Netherlands - "A Global Bicycle Purchasing Index will professionalise the sector, as we have seen before in other industries. It gives you a verified outlook on what to expect in the supply chain, and not what you have heard from your connections, rumouring around in the sector." Bike Europe talked with Jeroen Both, former chief supply chain officer and member of the board of management at Accell Group, on the launch of Bike Europe's Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI) in partnership with Eurobike.

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - The countryside just north of Taichung houses one of those smaller, high-tech companies which characterise the bicycle industry supply chain in Taiwan. The family company Ora Engineering was founded in 1996 as an innovator in the metal forming and welding industry. Today the company supplies a range of frames, parts and components, particularly in titanium, to the global market with an export share of 98%.

TOKYO, Japan - The bicycle industry in Japan is known to function in isolation, apart from global trends. Domestic sales are largely dominated by low-value, Chinese-made bicycles. But the market is waking up, seeing the benefits of cycling as a means of transport and the positive side effects on health. "The Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute (JBPI) developed various initiatives to open up the market and take it to the next level, including an annual show and market data gathering," said Professor Tetsuya Komagata, President of the Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute (JBPI), in an interview with Bike Europe. Komagata has extensively studied the history of the Japan-China bicycle industry and offered his insights.