Rosie Burgin

MALLABIA, Spain - Basque bicycle cooperative, Orbea, reached a record sales volume of €282 million in 2021, with 81% coming from export markets. Last year, the cooperative also expanded its operational structure by adding 170 new jobs to its group and is very optimistic for the future.

SANTA CRUZ, US - With the growing interest in e-bikes in the US, Dutch bike brand, Pon has opened its first Gazelle Experience Center in the country. Located in Santa Cruz, just 2 km from Pon's North American headquarters, it will serve as an e-bike test location for consumers.

KARLSTEIN AM MAIN, Germany - German battery cell analysis specialist Batemo has entered a new cooperation with BMZ Group, a global specialist in lithium-ion battery manufacturing. A part of the cooperation includes supporting the distribution of BMZ's new TerraE round cells.

SUZHOU, China - At a total investment of RMB 5 billion (€725 mln), Phylion has signed an agreement for the building of a 16GWh Power Battery Project in Yancheng in the Jiangsu province. The entire production line will adopt the most advanced production equipment.

MUNICH, Germany - Fazua has expanded its product range with a new drive unit that aims to set a new benchmark with respect to weight, integration and intuitive operation. The Fazua Ride 60 drive system, with a maximum total weight of 4.26 kg giving 60 Nm torque, will be specified on e-bikes entering the market this year.

CALIFORNIA, US - BMX bike and parts supplier, Haro Bicycle Corporation is expanding its operations to strengthen its dealer and distribution network worldwide. This includes a Europe based sales and distribution operation, a newly created supply chain group based in Taiwan and new staff announcements to support product development.

TAINAN, Taiwan - Taya Chains has continued to invest in the development of its chain technology in recent years and anticipated on the dominance of e-bikes on the market. The chain manufacturer is also expanding the use of its exclusive GST technology to include the e-bike series and bicycle parts such as screws, nut and axels to extend the corrosion resistance lifetime.

KRAKOW, Poland - As part of a long-term strategy, Polish battery manufacturer Green Cell has opened an e-bike battery plant near Krakow, Poland. With ambitions to assemble 50,000 e-bike batteries per year, the first products are already rolling of the assembly lines.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - In 2021, the Dutch mobility giant Pon Holdings achieved a turnover of no less than €8 billion with an operating profit of €559 million. Pon.Bike - and in particular its e-bikes - contributed no less than €1.3 billion to that turnover.

NUNSPEET, the Netherlands - Shimano Europe has announced that it intends to completely outsource its warehouse activities which are now based in Nunspeet, the Netherlands. In a statement the company says, 'the distribution centre in Nunspeet has outgrown its capacity'. A new service provider is yet to be determined, but the move could lead to a loss of up to 45 jobs.