Jo Beckendorff

KAOHSIUNG CITY, Taiwan - Taiwan's motorised two-wheeler giant Kwang Yang Motor Corporation, known as Kymco, has heralded an e-offensive: the e-motor scooter line previously offered under the brand name Ionex is to be spun off, at least in its home country, and expanded as an independent brand with a complete range of products from e-motor scooters to e-superbikes. Could this pose a threat to booming e-bike sales?

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - Strong global market demand for e-bikes and bicycles continued in the first quarter of this year. Taiwan's largest producer Giant Manufacturing Company Ltd. reports record sales and net profit for the first sales quarter of 2021. Also, Merida Industry Co., Ltd. benefits from high demand for e-bikes.

VIENNA, Austria - E-bike and bicycle sales volumes in Austria had leveled off at around 400,000 units in the past 10 years. In 2020 the market situation changed drastically and this was by no means solely due to COVID-19. For the first time the market came close to the 500,000 unit threshold.

OBERHACHING, Germany - SQLab GmbH, a specialist known for its ergonomic bicycle products has been acquired by Boards & More GmbH, owner of the bike wear and accessory brand Ion, for an unspecified amount. Both companies plan to now jointly develop and distribute further innovative products for the bicycle market.

WUXI, China - Chinese electric-two-wheeler giant Yadea Technology Group Co., is hoping to make a global splash with its newly unveiled product mix. Under the slogan 'Electrify your life' e-scooters and e-bikes are now being included in the company's global portfolio in addition to e-motor scooters. This move is aimed primarily at the Western e-mobility market.

SERZEDO, Portugal - Europe's largest bicycle producer in units, RTE, is strategically expanding its business. On the one hand, an e-bike factory for its own young e-bike brand Beeq as well as for (OEM-) production has been started by the Portuguese near the existing bicycle factory in Serzedo. Furthermore, in Poland another RTE factory is currently under construction.

DRESDEN, Germany - Bicycle chain store retailer Little John Bikes GmbH celebrated the opening of its 40th store on its home market Germany. The company aims to celebrate its 50th store opening in the fall of 2022. Besides the new store openings, the company is achieving rapid expansion through a unique IBD succession concept which offers a solution to the 'ageing' market.

MUNICH, Germany - Financial news services report that Austrian investor René Benko is again investigating a possible IPO of his online sports platform Signa Sports United. As part of the Signa Retail Group, Signa Sports United is an e-commerce giant in cycling and other sports commodities with multiple webshops in Europe.

WALS, Austria - Austrian sporting goods chain store giant Hervis Sport has announced a spring offensive, following the opening of a new flagship store in Innsbruck, Austria. This offensive relies not only on a chain store expansion in Austria, but in six further European countries in which they are already on the ground. The focus of this heralded spring offensive is on nothing but "bicycles, outdoor and even more stores."

DUISBURG, Germany - In a farewell letter officially released on March 23, the Steelworks by Thyssenkrupp team tells its community that due to strategic considerations and with a heavy heart, it has made the decision to "end Steelworks production and cease distribution by the end of March 2021."