Preliminary results of a major survey of end users, dealers and manufacturers, plus trade show research on the market share of drive systems
 

 
The pedelec, often also called an e-bike, has earned itself a major presence on many cycle paths. Furthermore, for most dealers the pedelec is the dominant factor in turnover, and also a key driver of growth.  

Thanks to electric assistance, cycling has once again become part of everyday life for many people. This is a development which ExtraEnergy has driven and supported since 1992 with independent product testing, test tracks, specialist training, special exhibitions of components and much more.  

At ExtraEnergy we believe that awareness of the pedelec is now universal in people´s everyday lives, and that pedelecs serve people well. Nonetheless, the product itself is still very much in its infancy, and there are many technological developments yet to come.  

We endeavour to accelerate these developments through the independent information which we publish.  

Because the cycle industry traditionally works in a very compartmentalised fashion, drive system and cycle component suppliers play a central role in driving innovation and utility for the customer.  Because the market is developing very fast we collected reliable data for the upcoming Eurobike on the current market relevance of individual suppliers from the points of view of cycle manufacturers, cycle dealers and cycle end users.  

Market research at Eurobike
Because the response rate from cycle manufacturers has to date been too low to provide statistical significance, additional data was collected during Eurobike 2019.

This data collection effort was carried out with a high level of personal commitment from ExtraEnergy. This involved ExtraEnergy staff going to the show stands of every cycle manufacturer and checking and documenting the numbers of mechanical bikes, pedelecs 25 and pedelecs 45 on display, as well as the brands of the pedelec drive systems. 

Preliminary results
These preliminary results were presented for the first time at this year’s “Lightweight e-mobility and micro-mobility – for mobility in cities and urban areas” event in Bad Soden, Germany. 

The results are available for publication including the reference www.ExtraEnergy.org. 

>> Preliminary results 

More pedelecs than mechanical bikes
One of the most remarkable results was that the proportion of bikes that were purely mechanical was just 40%, with pedelecs making up the remaining 60% share.

This is a trend that has already become evident in the Netherlands since 2018, when pedelec sales in that country rose to 409,400 units (a 38% rise since the previous year) making them the best-selling type of cycle. 

Values from Eurobike are estimates
Using the data collected from Eurobike it would already be possible to arrive at some approximate results.

However, this count only captured a snapshot. For example, it could be that when a count took place at a particular show stand many of the bikes were away being ridden on the test track, so only those bikes which were actually on display at the time were counted. 

Extending and improving representativeness
Furthermore, in the context of the wider European or worldwide markets, the research carried out at Eurobike is not likely to be very representative, given that many cycle manufacturers did not attend this event. 

With our survey work ongoing we intend to continue to increase the accuracy of our results, and to extend this worldwide. 

For manufacturers and dealers in particular additional data will be needed to increase the representativeness of the results. 

The ongoing results will be published for free access online, without identifying any participants. 

Surveys

>> To the survey for end users 

>> To the survey for dealers 

>> To the survey for cycle manufacturers 

We thank you in advance for your participation. 

>> Press publication

Copy: Hannes Neupert, Angela Budde

Translation: Peter Eland 

Picture: www.ExtraEnergy.org 

16th October 2019