HEERENVEEN, Netherlands - In a surprise move this week, Accell Group announced that newly appointed Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Axel Salzmann will not be able to take up the role as initially planned due to "unforeseen personal circumstances."
BRUSSELS, Belgium - E-bike manufacturer Cowboy has announced a voluntary recall of its C4 ST (Edition MR) model due to a potential safety issue involving the bike's frame. The Brussels-based company discovered during quality testing that the bike is at risk of developing fatigue cracks at the weld joint between the headtube and the downtube after approximately 2,500 kilometres of use.
AMERSFOORT, Netherlands - Dutch battery repair specialist Nowos has raised €6 million in new equity funding to accelerate its pan-European growth and push lithium-ion battery repair as a main component to developing a circular economy. The round's lead investor is Paris- and Singapore-based venture capital fund Shift4Good, with participation from Fair Capital Impact Fund and Goeie Grutten Impact Fund. An additional €3 million in debt financing is still being secured.
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Bringing together leading exhibitors from Indonesia, China, Singapore and Vietnam, this year's Asiabike Jakarta (ABJ) is set to accelerate the growth of the sustainable mobility industry with expanded exhibitions. The event is scheduled from 29 April to 4 May 2025, at JIExpo Kemayoran - a 12,000-square-foot expo space in the heart of the city.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - When the new battery regulation came into place in August 2023, a lot of attention from the bicycle industry was given to 'Article 11' on repairability. The European Commission has now published guidelines to facilitate the introduction of this part of the regulation, and specifically the much-discussed topic of single-cell replacement.
GENT, Belgium - Trade association LEVA-EU is inviting e-bike manufacturers and assemblers across Europe to participate in a newly launched survey. The survey is designed to gather insights on the impact of European anti-dumping duties on bicycle components imported from China, aiming to provide a clearer understanding of how these tariffs affect the industry's competitiveness, business operations, and market growth.
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands - The Dutch Light Electric Vehicles (LEV) framework has been postponed once more, according to the RAI Association, the professional organization for (e-)bike manufacturers in the Netherlands. Initially set to take effect on January 1, 2025, the framework is now delayed until July 2025. Implementation of the new framework will have implications for amongst others, e-cargobike users in the country.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission has officially declared that Ouxi V8 fatbikes are considered an 'unauthorised' vehicle in the European Union. This means that anyone riding these vehicles is driving illegally and uninsured on the road. The China-made vehicles have risen in popularity in the Netherlands this year.
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Overall e-bike exports from Taiwan grew 5% between Q1 and Q2 of this year, according to the latest customs data. However, exports to Europe in the same period dropped 5%. More worryingly the trend looks set to continue as key markets in Europe see imports plummet in July.
LONDON, England - Skarper, which was founded in 2020, has secured £4.5m (€5.1 million) in additional financing from a syndicate of prominent investors for developing its portable drive system. The start-up will use the investment to deliver its first products to the market in Q4 of this year.
FRANKFURT, Germany - The fact that the US e-bike market is lagging behind European counterparts is well-known within the industry. A forecast based on a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% over the next 7 years could see the US e-bike market reach 6.7 million units and match regular bicycle sales in 2030. This data presented at Eurobike by eCycleElectric however, represented the most optimistic scenario.
LOS ANGELES, US - "The bicycle industry can expect a gradual recovery with significant upside in the medium to long term, with 2026 and 2027 marking pivotal years for increased mergers and acquisitions and investment opportunities." This is the conclusion of a new report led by global investment bank Houlihan Lokey. In contrast to the current market conditions, the study indicates that another boom period for the industry is also possible before the end of the decade.
PARK City, Utah - Kona Bicycles was a noticeable last-minute absence at this week's Sea Otter event in California. The brand pulled down their booth on Wednesday and left the site raising concerns about the financial stability of the company. On Thursday, brand owner Kent Outdoors announced the appointment of a new CFO.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - In what it calls "a strategic move to further strengthen its governance", e-bike brand Cowboy has appointed two senior industry figures to its leadership team. Harpreet Singh Rai, former CEO of health tech wearables company Oura, will now serve as a board member and Kevin Cornils, former COO at Peloton joins as strategic advisor.
MIAMI, USA - Known primarily for its shared e-scooter service across cities globally, Bird has announced that it is restructuring to "strengthen its financial position". Although it will continue to operate as usual, the company has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection in Florida. Bird Europe and Bird Canada are not part of the filing and also continue to operate as normal.
ZEIST, The Netherlands - Up to 95% of a company's carbon emissions take place when extracting, sourcing and producing bike materials and components. To tackle these emissions several companies including Trek, Accell, Schwalbe and Canyon have come together to co-develop a Climate Action Training for Asian suppliers.
INNSBRUCK, Austria - US digital marketing and e-commerce strategy agency, CrankTank, is expanding its services to Europe and has opened an office in Innsbruck, Austria. This expansion will enable them to better serve both their US and European brand partners in e-commerce strategies. Susanne Pfrengle has been appointed as managing director of CrankTank Europe.
VILLENEUVE D'ASCQ, France - Decathlon, known for its development of mid-end e-bikes and bicycles, has added an e-bike with automatic transmission to its range. "This is not just a bike. It's a statement of innovation and design that is set to change what we know about cycling," the French retail giant states.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - Direct to consumer e-bike brand Cowboy is increasing its offline footprint to offer additional retail and service solutions for new and existing customers. With the launch of its Retail Partner Network, the brand aims to partner with 300 IBDs in 60 cities across Europe by the end of this year.
TAICHUNG, Taiwan - E-bike system manufacturer, Hyena has released their lightest drive system, the E-Road Air. Weighing only 3.2 kg, the smart hub drive system unit designed for lightweight performance bikes, was showcased at Taipei Cycle 2023.
