ZIV market data for bicycles and e-bikes 2022: good prospects for e-cargo bikes

Every year, the German Bicycle Industry Association ( ZIV ) collects market data on the bicycle industry. The association represents 116 manufacturers and importers of bicycles, e-bikes, bicycle components and accessories, which accounts for around 90 percent of bicycle and e-bike production in Germany. The ZIV has observed a normalization of the market in 2022. The supply chain problems have largely been resolved and bicycle manufacturers can once again deliver reliably. The forecast is therefore good: in the medium and long term, the association sees very stable growth for the bicycle and e-bike industry.

The number of bicycles and e-bikes in Germany has grown steadily over the last ten years. The number continued to increase in 2022 and has now reached a record 82.8 million. Statistically speaking, this means that almost everyone in Germany owns a bicycle or e-bike. Nevertheless, the market is far from saturated, according to the association. The reason for this is the trend towards buying a second or even third bike. Each bike fulfills a different function: an urban bike for commuting to work, a mountain bike for vacations and an e-cargobike for the weekly shop, such as the FINN model from VSC.BIKE. The boom is also affecting the supplier industry: production as well as imports and exports of two-wheeler parts have risen sharply. Exports have even increased by around 60 percent.

This growth is also due to the rapid popularization of e-bikes. While e-bikes used to be a niche product, they are now mainstream. In 2022, 1.7 million e-bikes were produced, which corresponds to an increase of 20 percent. In contrast, the production of bicycles without an e-drive has remained constant at around 900,000 units over the last four years. In addition to the e-bikes produced in Germany, the study also looks at the manufacturers' "extended workbench". An additional 780,000 e-bikes are manufactured in production facilities of German companies outside Germany, bringing the total number of vehicles produced by German manufacturers to 3.38 million.

The cargo bikes manufactured by VSC.BIKE, on the other hand, are produced entirely at the Allstedt production site in Saxony-Anhalt - without an extended workbench abroad. The suppliers come primarily from Germany and Europe. Such bicycles "Made in Germany" are in great demand in other European countries. The main export countries are the Netherlands, followed by Austria and France.

The ZIV assumes that more e-bikes than ferry bikes will be sold in Germany for the first time in 2023. In 2021, the share of e-bikes in sales was already at 48% and there was almost a tie between motorization and drive by muscle power. Trekking bikes and city/urban bikes were clearly ahead in terms of sales of bikes without a drive in 2022. In the bike group with electric assistance, e-cargobikes and sporty bikes recorded the largest increases. The increase in e-cargo bikes was 37.5% compared to 2021, making cargo bikes one of the fastest-growing model groups. For many users, the e-drive makes the use of cargo bikes possible and practical in the first place. A total of 212,800 cargo bikes were sold in 2021.

Another pleasing development is the high growth in commercially used cargo bikes and trailers. In 2022, sales in the B2B sector amounted to 27,300 units, which corresponds to an increase of 104% compared to the previous year. The B2B market is booming for a reason: cargo bikes are a sustainable, cost-efficient and flexible option for logistics, especially in urban areas where space is limited and traffic congestion is common.

The study also shows that customers continue to place a high value on quality, advice and service and largely buy from specialist retailers. Advice and service also play a major role at VSC.BIKE: When purchasing a cargo bike from VSC, we offer individual service packages so that our B2B customers do not have to worry about inspection, maintenance and repair.

According to the ZIV analysis, now is a good time to make new purchases. Our experts will be happy to advise you. Together, we will tailor our models to your individual requirements.