Market: Electric bicycle sales took off in 2021

With nearly 660,000 units sold last year, electric bikes confirm to be a highly appreciated mode of mobility in France.

While the automotive market continues its endless decline, other modes of transportation are benefiting. Already, we are seeing electric scooters stand out with 900,000 units sold in 2021. That same year, the electric bicycle didn’t have to blush.

The electric bicycle doubled in 4 years

The initial figures from the bicycle industry report already gave a clear indication. However, they are slightly below expectations after the 2021 review from Union Sport et Cycle (USC). The organization reports 659,337 electric bicycles sold last year, a 28% jump compared to 2020 (514,000). This is twice as many as in 2018 (332,000), five times more than in 2016 (134,000), and 15 times the 2011 market which only counted 40,000 units.

And their value is increasing almost as fast, by 23%, reaching a turnover of 1.3 billion euros. The average price for an e-bike is around 1,970 euros, compared to about 500 euros for a traditional bike.

These were still sold in over 2 million units in 2021. Of the total 2.7 million bikes, only 30% are produced in France, with exactly 804,744 units confirmed by USC, an increase of 25%.

Among these figures, folding bikes show a sharp decline of 21%. “In reality, except for some high-end brands, the use of folding bikes isn’t very practical,” relates Jérôme Valentin to Le Monde.

A weak market compared to Germany

Despite the improvement, the comparison with our German neighbors is not flattering. Of course, their larger population (83 million versus 67 million) results in higher figures, but the comparison is clear.

In 2021, 4.7 million bikes were pedaled in Germany, including 2 million electric, explains the German two-wheel industry ZIV, three times more than in France. And buyers spend much more than us, with an average e-bike price of 2,800 euros. This has pulled up the average price of bikes across all categories to 1,395 euros, compared to 495 euros in 2011.

This is thanks to a very incentivizing German bike policy, where the modal share of trips is 11% on the other side of the Rhine, compared to only 3% here. Even the French government’s projection to reach 9% by 2025 is cautious.

However, the bike industry remains optimistic in France, expecting +21% in 2022. Despite supply chain tensions, this is offset by rising fuel prices. While some motorists practice car-sharing or migrate to E85, others are expected to switch to cycling.

Also read: Refurbished electric bikes, 3 sites to buy your used e-bike