Electric bicycles (“e-bikes”) were, for a long time, something the Chinese understood but few Americans bought into. And so for a long time, Ameri

The E-Bike Revolution Is Here

submited by

Style Pass

2021-06-19 22:00:05

Electric bicycles (“e-bikes”) were, for a long time, something the Chinese understood but few Americans bought into. And so for a long time, Americans led the world in bicycle ownership but were low in actual bike use—the two-wheelers mostly sat in the garage, with flat tires.

But Covid changed all that. People wanted to venture outside, and the bicycle was a safe option. It turns out the power-assisted e-bike was an ideal solution for many folks (including seniors) who liked the help getting up hills.

Sales of e-bikes in the U.S. are up 139% to US$681 million for the year-to-date ending in April, compared to the same period in 2020, according to market research firm NPD Group.

“E-bike sales have been in a growth mode for more than five years in the U.S.,” says Dirk Sorenson, sports industry analyst at NPD. “There’s an appeal to a broad set of consumers, from the new rider, to someone who wants to conquer a hard ride, or the returning rider that is uncertain of their riding skills.”

In Europe, the progress has been even greater. According to the EU Mobility Atlas, assisted bike sales in the union are likely to grow from 3.7 million to 17 million per year by 2030. At that point, e-bikes could be selling better than cars in the EU (only 9.9 million units last year).