Market figures just released by RAI show the first increase in the volume of new bicycles sold in the Netherlands since 2007.
With 957,000 units sold overall, sales of new cycles during 2017 are up 3.2% on the previous year.
Of that total, 294,000 were electric bikes – a market share of almost 1 in 3 of new cycles purchased – and up 8.7% compared to 2016.
While the average price of an ordinary cycle stood at €608 in 2017, the average price tag of an e-bike was €1,948.
Sales of speed pedelecs also grew, with 4,572 units sold in 2017, compared to 3,576 in 2016.
With more than a quarter of all journeys in the Netherlands made by bicycle, RAI estimates there are a total of 1.9 million e-bikes owned in the Netherlands, with the average number of bicycles (ordinary and assisted) per Dutch household being 3. The average distance cycled on an ordinary cycle is 3.6 kilometers, while the average on an e-bike is 5.5 kilometers.
Industry body RAI reports that cycling in the Netherlands has increased by 12% since 2005 – crediting that growth as “mainly due to the e-bike”. Women cycle more often than men, but men cycle longer distances. The popularity of electric bikes has seen 70% of e-bikers saying they use their ordinary cycle less as a result – but 40% use their car less too – with the e-bike proving particularly popular for commuting.
