Sales volume of new e-bikes in the Netherlands 2004-2019

The electric bicycle, or E-bike, is a bicycle equipped with an auxiliary electric motor and gives pedal assistance. The sales volume of new e-bikes increased annually between 2004 and 2019 in the Netherlands. In 2004, there were roughly 25,000 new e-bikes sold and by 2019 this had increased significantly, to 423,000 new electric bicycle sales. Similar results are seen with the distribution of new bicycle sales in the Netherlands; in 2007 just over five percent of the total new bicycle sales were electric bikes, whereas in 2018 this had grown to 40 percent. To compare, the sales of normal tour or city bikes decreased from 60 to 34 percent between 2007 and 2018.

Sales volume growth in speed pedelecs

Another variant of the electric bicycle is the speed pedelec, an electric bicycle that supports higher speeds than a normal e-bike. With a maximum speed of 45 kilometers per hour, it is a popular bicycle among individuals that need to bike longer distances for daily commute and rather not take the car. As of 2017, approximately 4,500 speed pedelecs were sold in the Netherlands, 1,038 more than in the previous year. In terms of the sales volume of speed pedelecs by brand, German brands Stromer and Riese & Mueller had the highest sales volume with 1,864 and 792 sold bikes in 2017, respectively.

E-bike export volume increase within Europe

Examining the export volume of electric bicycles in the Netherlands, there was an annual growth within Europe from 2014 to 2017. 31,000 e-bikes were exported in 2014, whereas by 2017 the volume increased to 165,400 electric bicycles. However, the export volume to non-European countries decreased in 2017 to 500 e-bikes (1,300 in 2016).