The e-bike craze continues unabated. The industry expects them to account for more than half of the bicycle market this year. E-bikes are getting faster and lighter, but accidents are also increasing.
The two-wheeler industry complains that business is no longer as good as it was during the new crown epidemic. However, sales are still high. At the opening press conference of the Eurobike trade fair in Frankfurt today, there was talk of market normalization.
City dwellers are especially keen on buying e-bikes and cargo bikes. Demand for simple bicycles without motors continues to decline. Sales of e-bikes will outstrip conventional bicycles for the first time this year, according to estimates from the Two-Wheeler Industry Association. That means good business for manufacturers and dealers. According to the Zweirad trade association, conventional bicycles bring in an average retail turnover of 714 euros, while electric bikes cost five times that at 3,570 euros.
The average household owns more than two bicycles
Until the postwar period, the bicycle was a common means of transport for rural populations and workers to factories. Children and teens use bicycles for their daily transportation needs. Today, bicycles are often used as exercise equipment by high-income members of the middle and upper economic classes.
The older drivers are, the more they drive with the support of electric motors. In the upmarket neighborhoods of German cities, cargo bikes are driven, increasingly with an additional electric drive. The managing director of the Hessian manufacturers Riese and Müller says their customers often see expensive cargo bikes as an alternative to buying two vehicles.
The “Current Economic Calculation” of the Federal Statistical Office shows that four out of five German households have owned a bicycle for many years – with an average of 2.3 bicycles. Given the high number of small households in Germany, this means that there are quite a few cyclists using several bikes at once: mountain bikes for the forest, racing bikes for road trips and “city bikes” for shopping.
Attract high-budget clients
The family-owned company Coboc from Heidelberg is planning a lightweight electric mountain bike that can also be used on the street and in the city. Only 3D-printed demonstration models will be on display at the show – but the goal is clear: a large number of people with bicycles, big budgets and limited space should be won over as customers.
Eurobike starts next Sunday in Frankfurt am Main, with hundreds of exhibitors packing four large halls. Cycling was described as a contribution to improved traffic conditions. Promising “responsibility for sustainable development”, former cyclist Marcel Kittel has developed children’s bikes with recyclable frames at his new company Kids Bike Revolution in Erfurt.
“Our ideas can be reused,” agrees Patrick Steinwand from H+B Hightech in Baden-Württemberg. The auto supplier has introduced a new transmission. “E Bike Advanced Technologies” from Frankfurt says their frames are “100% recyclable”. Advanced offers an online brochure with information on its ecologically advantageous production. But there is little evidence and specific information on how to recycle glass fiber-coated silicone fabrics, polyamide-coated carbon fibers and injection-molded plastics.
“Almost a Motorcycle”
E-bikes are getting faster, lighter and easier to use even for inexperienced users. “We support speeds of up to 45 km/h,” says Dirk Menze of gearbox manufacturer Pinion in Denkendorf near Stuttgart. “It’s almost a motorcycle,” says Sebastian Fessen-Fallsehr from Busch and Müller in Sauerland, commenting on a demo bike. His company equips e-bikes with indicator lights, high beams and brake lights — something that’s not allowed on the road. Electric bikes are sold under the Ducati, KTM and Yamaha motorcycle brands.
Fast e-bikes need a license plate to prove insurance. Anyone using them must have a driver’s license. Bicycle industry association appeals for political support. Their customers “do not have unrestricted access to our products” compared to other consumer products.
The accident killed more than 200 people
The organizer of “Eurobike”, the industry association and the advertising agency “Pressedienst Fahrrad” will present new bicycles, gears, motors, lamps, bags and seats at the fair. Hardly any mention of helmets. Drivers without head protection will advertise – eg Deutsche Bahn (“call bike”).
An assessment by the Federal Statistical Office shows that the number of accidents involving e-bikes is increasing dramatically. Last year 22,000 were injured and 206 died; the previous year there were still 17,000 injured and 131 killed. The fact that other road users are generally not involved shows that e-bikes are often not controlled.