E-bike sales in the United States will more than triple in the next six years, reaching 265,000 in 2018, according to a recent report from Pike Research. The market will continue to lag Germany and China, however, largely because bicycle dealers have chosen not to distribute or support the bikes.
“Although the e-bicycle will remain a niche product in the United States, the U.S. market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 20 percent,” says senior research analyst Dave Hurst. “That means it will continue to trail significant Western European markets, but increases in bicycle infrastructure in growing urban centers and the rise in popularity of alternative means of transport will make e-bikes a viable choice for thousands of new users.”
The challenge of distribution remains a significant hurdle to expanded e-bike sales in many regions, including North America, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. In North America, as in some parts of Western Europe, traditional bicycle dealers have been uninterested in carrying e-bicycles because the customers are not typical bicycle buyers. Some of the world’s largest bicycle manufacturers, including Giant, Trek and Schwinn, currently offer e-bicycles, but these vehicles also remain relatively unsupported in the U.S. market. Dealers in the United States are generally required to qualify to sell the vehicles, and many dealers have not chosen to pursue this product line.
The report, “Electric Bicycles”, provides a comprehensive analysis of the worldwide e-bicycle and e-bicycle battery industry including an examination of market forces, technology issues, government policy influences, the competitive landscape and key drivers of growth.
