As flecc says, this is both a promotional and an informative document about pedelecs that nowhere seems to mention Britain. A gold star for anyone who finds a UK reference!
It shows market trends in a number of European countries: the usual suspects Germany and the Netherlands, but also the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy. Basically, it’s a market that is still developing fast. Indeed, the extent of the effort invested in producing the document itself testifies that potential growth is perceived as very significant.
It highlights that in Germany and the Netherlands, a critical change in the image of e-bikes occurred from around 2009. Thereafter, they were no longer regarded as ‘granny bikes’. Commuters and those seeking a healthier lifestyle have joined the elderly in acquiring them. The trend seems closely related to technological innovation which itself seems linked to unit price increase rather than decrease. Indeed, “it is to be expected that prices will tend to rise over time, simply because of depletion of raw materials such as copper and magnets and the welcome increase in wages for Chinese factory workers”.
Apart from image, the document also emphasises that the critical factor in converting the undecided to an e-bike, is to get them to test one!
Where, one wonders, does all this good news leave Britain? I know this has been referred to many times in this forum, but it really is startling that the British market is so undeveloped- the more so given that legal murkiness, uniquely in the EU, allows the use of throttles.
Maybe it’s just a question of time. It is certainly promising that many UK retailers are able to pull together to present e-bikes to potential new customers. And it’s good to note that some of them are promoting this document, which so enthusiastically and in great detail promotes the power of the pedelec.
