Upturn in Sales of Bicycles in Germany

Based on the claims by ZIV, German bicycle industry association, after a successful 2014 business deals, there have been great sales figures in the market for German bicycles in the first half of 2015.

According to the estimates by ZIV, between January and June, about 2.86 million bicycles and e-bikes were bought by Germans. This figure shows a 2% increase in sales when compared with the figures in 2014. This increase in sales was mostly as a result of the mild winter in Germany and a great whether in spring.

Home based production of bicycles and e-bikes from the month of January to June 2015 were estimated at about 1.6 million pieces which was almost the same figures as that of last year. However, in 2015 relatively more bikes and e-bikes were imported into Germany than in the same period of the previous year. Siegfried Neuberger, General Manager of ZIV stated that manufacturers hoard stock as a result of the present state of the currency. In previous years, importation stood at about 60% in the first half of the year, but it has recorded 70% in the first half of this year. According to ZIVs’ estimation, there will be a decrease of imports in the second part of 2015.

There is still a sustained popularity of E-bikes in the German market, as ZIV forecasts 520,000 units of e-bike sale in 2015. Within the midterm, the German e-bike market is foreseen to take over 15% of the bike market, which translates to about 600,000 e-bikes. Mr. Neuberger believes that the e-bike is gaining grounds continuously in the everyday mobility. He further states that from the perspective of the ZIV, advancement in technology, new brands and diversity of designs are co-factors responsible for the persistent increase in e-bikes

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