Electric bikes going mainstream?
UK group claims powered pedals heading for the big time
Published:
Sales of electric bikes in the
With the British Electric Bicycle Association formed back in July and more recent news that Halfords will be stocking Urban Mover electric bikes from 2010, it seems that electric bikes are set to become an increasingly strong sector of the
Current members of BEBA are E-motion, Gepida, Giant, IZIP, Ultra Motor, Urban Mover and Whisper.
Dahon have chosen 2010 to launch their first electric folding bike for many years, the Boost – unusually for folding electric bikes it’s a high quality pedelec machine (power being delivered via the chainwheel from a Japanese Sunstar motor). Unlike some other Dahon models the Boost will be available in the
The large retail chains seem also to be waking up to the potential of electric bikes sales, with Tesco currently stocking a machine based on IZIP technology.
According to
However, asked to comment on the BEBA figures, David Henshaw, editor of A to B magazine, specialising in folding and electric bikes, said:
“In November 2008, we asked the key electric bike manufacturers how they saw the prospects for 2009. In late 2008, most had just a bumper year, with total
“Preliminary figures for 2009 suggest instead a decline in sales, to 15,000 or even less. Most established distributors and manufacturers have suffered, and some are selling less than half the number of bikes they were selling this time last year. The more expensive brands have suffered most, with some being almost wiped out in the UK, but on the positive side, some newer, smaller companies have done well, increasing output.“
“The shipwreck of the electric bike industry has been caused by the weak pound and rising raw material prices. At the time of our first survey, a premium electric bike cost £1,200-£1,500. The same machines are now selling for £1,500-£2,200. But demand for electric bikes remains strong, and we expect sales to take off again as soon as market conditions improve.”