DARMSTADT, Germany - With a heavy lean towards the automotive sector and the energy transition, this years' Battery Experts Forum provided an opportunity to catch up on the latest developments in the battery sector. Policy, regulations and new technologies were the dominant talking points in this growing market. "This is a goldrush moment in the battery industry," one speaker declared as battery output is expected to grow three-fold by 2030. But where does Europe fit into this growth?

CHESTER, England - Bikmo, a UK-based specialist cycle and e-mobility insurer has raised £3.4 million (€3.9 million) in a Series A extension round to accelerate European expansion and drive product innovation. The specialist insurer currently protects over 75,000 riders in the UK, Ireland, Germany and Austria through strategic partnerships with brands such as British Cycling, Cyclescheme and folding bike specialist Brompton.

HEERENVEEN, The Netherlands - Accell Group has appointed Tjeerd Jegen as CEO and Chair of the Management Board. Starting 1 November 2023, Jegen who has 25 years' experience in retail companies, will succeed Juan de Ochoa, who has been interim CEO since Ton Anbeek left the company earlier this year.

MILAN, Italy - Tyre manufacturer Pirelli is carrying out a voluntary recall of some bicycle tyres of the type P Zero Race TLR, size 28-622. The recall refers to tyres produced between the tenth and 24th week of 2023 and is due to problems of compatibility of the tyre with some wheel rims.

ITTIGEN, Switzerland - The World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) is to have a new CEO. After a successful 16-year tenure, Robbert De Kock, has decided it is time for him to leave the organisation and hand over the baton to a new leader. The WFSGI Board has appointed Emma (Mason) Zwiebler as Interim CEO from 1 November 2023.

FRANKFURT, Germany - An industrial nylon yarn for bicycle tyre casings made from recycled fishing net plastics from the sea, this is the concept of Taiwanese specialist Formosa Taffeta. As brands and manufacturers look for more responsibly sourced materials for their products, the company can already count Maxxis as a client, with more top tyre brands following suit.

JAKOBSTAD, Finland - As a European component manufacturer, Herrmans Bike Components rode a high wave during the corona years. Now the company has entered a new phase where sustainability and a focus on retaining recent market gains are the key focus. "How long will it last until price point makes a difference?" muses CEO Dan Liljeqvist.

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands - 2022 was a historic year for Pon Holdings with sales exceeding €10 billion for the first time in the company's history. The bicycle cluster, Pon.Bike contributed significantly to this following the acquisition of Dorel Sports and the ever-increasing demand for e-bikes. CEO Janus Smalbraak also states that order books are currently full.

SHANGHAI, China - With the theme 'Safer, smarter, lower carbon' the 31st China Cycle show will be held from May 5-8, 2023 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). Despite travel restrictions easing, the organisers are also organising online events for those unable to attend in person.

REDDITCH, UK - In its latest financial statement, UK bicycle retailer Halfords reports that cycling sales have dropped to pre-covid levels. Despite stating that "overall revenues are outperforming the market," the cycling division is down 20% year on year to date.

HANOVER, Germany - Tyre manufacturer Continental aims to make highly complex processes in its supply chains more transparent following a breakthrough in marker technology. Developed together with a partner, the technology can verify the geographical origin of raw materials throughout the tyre production process.

MUNICH, Germany - On September 5th, 2023, the second edition of IAA Mobility will kick off in Munich. With a focus on sustainable and intelligently connected mobility solutions, the new motto for the event is 'Experience Connected Mobility'. The organisers have also adjusted the concept based on the response they received following the inaugural 2021 event.

AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands - Born from a circular mission, Dutch bicycle company Roetz has turned its attention to designing a less polluting electric bicycle. Following three years of development, the result is an e-bike that is designed to last a lifetime through the use of a modular and reconfigurable design, high-quality materials and a data-driven service concept.

LADOUX, France - Michelin has launched its new Michelin Power Cup range of premium road bicycle tyres. The range, which is available in Tubular, Tubetype and Tubeless Ready versions, features new tread compounds for speed, rolling efficiency and cornering grip.

MUNICH, Germany - Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer, Porsche, has announced that it has fully acquired Fazua, the compact e-bike drive system manufacturer. Having become a minority stakeholder in the company earlier this year, this is another sign that Porsche is increasing its activities in the e-bike market.

KARLSTEIN AM MAIN, Germany - The Battery Experts Forum has released its three-day conference program of high-profile presentations from key players in the battery industry. With progress in the field of electrification speeding up, speakers including Shmuel De-Leon and Sven Bauer will address the current challenges facing the battery industry and with that the e-bike business.

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - European cleantech start-up, Circu Li-ion is aiming to maximise the lifecycle of each lithium-ion cell by developing an upcycling process of battery cells on an industrial scale. With a 7-figure pre-seed investment on board the company's technology could see the carbon footprint and operating costs of e-bike batteries being reduced.

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.

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.

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - Chinese e-bikes have once again been implicated 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.