Electric bikes accounted for 40% of all bicycle sales in the Netherlands during 2018, pushing sales figures for the traditional ‘touring and city’ style of pushbike off the top spot for the first time.
Dutch touring/city style push bikes have traditionally proved to be popular transport for parents, commuters, students and business use alike. In 2011, this category dominated sales with a market share of 53%.
Data just released by mobility association, RAI Vereniging, show the ‘touring and city’ unassisted cycle steadily losing market share in recent years however – and with 42% of all sales in 2017 coming down to 34% last year.
While other unassisted bikes account for a further 15% of market share (including the hybrid, racing, mountain and folding bikes), the electrically assisted bike was the most popular purchasing choice for adults last year.
An extended summer, with warm weather from early spring to late autumn, helped to notch up a 6% increase in overall bicycle sales in 2018, compared to the previous year, with overall bicycle sales reaching €1.2 billion
However it was the 409,400 new e-bikes leaving showrooms (compared to 294,000 in 2017) that once again pushed up the average value of each bike sold; the price of a new bicycle in the Netherlands rose 18% to €1,207.
Charting the rise of the e-bike, comparison figures by RAI show the average price was just €734 in 2011, when market share of electric bikes stood at 15%.
With touring/city push bikes losing ground, RAI say these figures show that electric bikes are “starting to become the new normal”. The organization see the sales increase as an important boost to both sustainable mobility and a healthier society.
Image credit: Istock/Halfpoint
