Merida Taiwan has enlarged its ownership in Merida & Centurion Germany from 51% to 90%, including the MCG factory in Hildburghausen, Germany. – Photo MCG

Merida takes over distributor Merida & Centurion Germany

CHANGHUA, Taiwan - Merida Industry Co. Ltd. Has enlarged its majority ownership in its German distributor Merida & Centurion Germany GmbH (MCG), which is managed and owned by German industry veteran Wolfgang Renner.

Next investment round for e-bike brand Cowboy. – Photo Cowboy

Cowboy raises €5 million in new investment round

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The omnichannel brand Cowboy has announced a new strategic investor. Cypress Capital is leading a €5 million financing round supported by existing investors. Hongkong based Cypress Capital invested €3 million while other existing Cowboy partners Index Ventures, Hardware Club, Future Positive Capital, Isomer, and Exor together invested another €2 million.

The Husqvarna e-bike, GasGas e-bike and Felt sales increase in the first 6 months of 2024 could partly compensate for the loss of R Raymon. – Photo Pierer Mobility

Pierer Mobility suffers from loss-making bicycle business

WELS, Austria - According to Pierer Mobility AG volatile and difficult economic conditions led to a negative first half 2024 result. The company also harmed itself with some short-term strategy changes after entering the bicycle and e-bike business. Now they have to pay the bill. In other words: drastic measures are being taken.

On the way out of the red figures: Ideal Bike Corporation, Taichung, Taiwan. – Photo Jo Beckendorff

Ideal Bike on the road to recovery after restructuring financial losses

TAICHUNG, Taiwan - Despite a double-digit revenue drop Taiwan's third-largest bicycle manufacturer Ideal Bike Corporation is continuing to work on getting a grip on the losses incurred in the past. A look at the 2024 second quarter and first half-year figures indicate a successful restructuring of the financial setbacks.

To build the brand AGU, the company has been sponsoring cyclists like track racer Harry Lavreysen for many years. – Photo TeamNL

Chapter 11 status for Dutch wholesaler and cycling gear brand AGU

ALKMAAR, the Netherlands - Wholesaler, exclusive agent for many brands and incubator for the Dutch retail market AGU has had to apply for Chapter 11 status and suspend payments.

hGears’ e-bike division is suffering from the high inventory levels that are still present in all sales channels. – Photo hGears

E-bike component manufacturer hGears expects medium-term growth

SCHRAMBERG, Germany - When presenting its 2024 half-year figures, the high-precision gearbox parts and components manufacturer hGears AG took a cautious view of the financial year. Looking further ahead, the stock-listed company sees strong growth again in the medium term 'particularly in the e-bike and e-mobility business areas'.

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Taiwanese suppliers emptying their warehouses to protect companies further down the supply chain is a potential explanation for significant drop in value per unit of e-bikes coming from the heavily interconnected island nation. – Photo Bike Europe

Asia offloading stock as EU e-bike import volume doubles in Q2

ZEIST, The Netherlands - Between April and June this year, the number of e-bikes imported into the EU rose to 223,000 units almost matching the same period last year. Significantly, this figure is almost double the amount imported in the first quarter of the year. All top 3 importing countries, Taiwan, Vietnam and China significantly increased the number of units entering the EU during this time period. However, at what cost?

E-bike adoption in the US has been slow, particularly for commuter use. – Photo Shutterstock

Can US e-bike sales reach 50% market share by 2030?

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.

As crowded warehouses facilitated a huge dip in e-bike imports, now for the first time in 12 months the number of units imported into the EU matches the same level as the previous year. – Photo Bike Europe

Rising e-bike imports signal market recovery in EU-27

ZEIST, The Netherlands - With 81,353 e-bike units imported into the EU-27 in the month of May, this almost matches the 83,000 units imported in the same period as last year, the latest Eurostat data shows. No doubt encouraging another sigh of relief for the bicycle market in Europe, e-bike imports per month have only continued to rise in 2024.

Burkhard Stork of German industry association ZIV presented the latest data in the day before Eurobike opens its doors. -Photo Bike Europe

ZIV at Eurobike opening: 'German e-bike market fully back on track in 2025'

FRANKFURT, Germany - Despite reports of ongoing high inventories in the market, German trade organisation, ZIV, presented an optimistic outlook during a market update on the day before Eurobike fully kicks off in Frankfurt. "Sales of e-bikes remain at a high level, and the overall market situation is characterised by healthy consumer demand," ZIV managing director Burkhard Stork stated when advocating the significant growth potential for the industry.

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“Our new facility in the Czech Repbulic is a modern, efficient factory that offers e-bike brands a complete package for European e-bike customers,” explains Andy Su, Chairman of Darfon Electronics Corp. - Photo Jo Beckendorff

Darfon Group CEO on strategic expansion of its e-mobility sector in Europe

FRANKFURT, Germany - Apprenticeship years are not master years - Taiwan's electronics giant Darfon Electronics Corp. also learnt this when entering the European e-bike market. The first few years were difficult. Here and there adjustments by the quickly learning stock-listed company had to be made. This led to things significantly progressing in the last three years. Find out how here.

Timyo, which has been declared bankrupt in the Netherlands, has its own frame factory in China and assembling facilities in Lithuania and the Netherlands. - Photo Timyo

E-bike manufacturer Timyo declared bankrupt as new entity emerges

ROOSENDAAL, The Netherlands - Timyo, the Dutch-based company that designed, developed and jointly manufactured e-bikes under its brands Van Dijck, Keola and Muon, has been declared bankrupt this week. The company had been struggling with issues for some time, including technical defects in e-bike components. However, continuation of the Van Dijck and Muon brands is already in place.

Ambition proved not to be enough for now insolvent contract manufacturer WSF Bicycle Technology GmbH based in Regau, Austria. – Photo WSF Technology

Austrian manufacturer WSF liquidated as restructuring plan fails

REGAU, Austria - The restructuring plan of the young bicycle and e-bike contract manufacturer WSF Bicycle Technology GmbH, which slipped into insolvency on April 24, has failed. Despite big ambitions, all assets are now being liquidated, the insolvency administrator Dr. Klaus Schiller confirmed to Bike Europe.

The EPPO has seized assets in investigation into €9.8 million customs fraud involving e-bikes. – Photo EPPO

EPPO investigating more e-bike customs violations as assets seized in Italy

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - A freezing order has been executed against an Italian company suspected of a major customs fraud involving the importation of e-bikes from China, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has announced. The company has been accused of evading more than €9.8 million in customs duties. This latest case raises questions about how complex it is to import e-bike components into the EU.

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