Electric bikes: an economical choice for Europeans

According to a Shimano survey, the main reasons driving Europeans to switch to an electric bike are the cost of living and purchase incentives, but not only that.

Bike usage is increasing in France and across Europe, it’s a fact, especially for electric bicycles. In our country, sales took off in 2021 with 660,000 units, while counting devices show an increasing frequency of bike lane usage. But what are the main reasons prompting people to switch from other modes of transport – car, public transport, etc. – to an e-bike? Shimano conducted a new survey asking over 15,000 Europeans what would motivate them to buy an e-bike within the next 12 months.

Wallet decides when switching to a bike

The main reason by far is the cost of living, such as rising fuel prices, which leads with 47%. Among the twelve countries in the study, only Norway and Poland did not list financial reasons as the top motivation. French people are even more sensitive than their neighbors when it comes to their wallets: 55% cited the cost of living as their reason for buying an electric bike.

However, their number one criterion is the availability of purchase incentives (60%). As you might know, the price of an e-bike is high, nearly €2,000 on average last year. To promote adoption of this individual mode of transport, France has adopted a bike bonus, similar to Germany and Sweden.

These incentives, covering 40% of the purchase price, primarily target people with modest incomes, offering €400 for an e-bike and up to €2,000 for a cargo or folding bike. Additionally, local subsidies (Paris, Occitanie, etc.) can stack with these, as well as a conversion premium if an old vehicle is scrapped.

The bike also for sports and environmental reasons

Apart from financial factors, one-third of respondents admitted they would switch to cycling for ecological reasons. “The European Environment Agency (EEA) reports that transport accounts for 24% of CO₂ emissions in Europe,” declares Hirra Khan Adeaogun, director of the Car Free Cities association, “shifting to less carbon-intensive transport like the electric bike is one of the best impacts you can make as a citizen.”

Furthermore, 32% said they would switch to an e-bike to be more active. However, almost as many (31%) would do so only if cycling infrastructure (bike lanes or paths) were more developed.

Also read: Guide: how to choose your bike?