Germany’s automakers are facing steep challenges as they convert to battery-powered lineups and confront rising competition from China. But business is booming in another corner of the German transport industry: e-bikes.

Sales of bicycles in Germany reached a record 7.36 billion euros, or $7.8 billion, in 2022, with e-bikes accounting for nearly half of sales, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association. The group is forecasting that this year, for the first time, Germans will buy more e-bikes than conventional models.

Electric bicycles and scooters are the backbone of what’s known as micromobility, seen as crucial to cutting the carbon emissions of transportation and helping to ease pollution and congestion in European cities. Analysts at EY cite e-bikes as the factor behind predicted annual growth of 4.6 percent in Europe’s bicycle market in the coming five years, as more people adjust their lifestyles to cut emissions. At the same time, the number of privately owned cars could drop by as much as 25 percent, according to a study by PWC, as consumers shift to car sharing and alternative mobility models.

Germany’s auto industry has noticed. Porsche offers a sporty, all-terrain e-bike — with the carmaker’s familiar gold-and-red crest under the handlebars. Audi has a similar model.

“Demand for micromobility is growing,” said Sandra Wolf, the chief executive of Riese & Müller, a leading German bicycle maker with a wide range of electric models. “E-bikes play an important role in that.”

Germany is Europe’s largest overall market for bicycles, and in recent years German bike makers have seen a growing demand for their e-bikes abroad, especially within Europe. China is the world’s largest producer of e-bikes, but duties imposed by the European Union on Chinese imports have helped to shield producers in Europe.

Several German firms are among the leading e-bike manufacturers in Europe, along with rivals in France, Italy and the Netherlands. In the first quarter of this year, exports of battery-powered bicycles made in Germany jumped 56 percent from a year earlier, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association.

That sort of growth has attracted investors. Last year LRMR Ventures, the investment firm of the National Basketball Association star LeBron James, led a group investing €30 million in Canyon, a German bicycle producer based in Koblenz, with an eye to expanding its e-bike offerings and presence in the United States.

Germany’s largest automobile show, in Munich, was rebranded as a “mobility” fair in 2021. During a panel discussion at the show this month, Oliver Blume, the chief executive of Volkswagen, explained how his company was working on technology to reduce the cost of the batteries for electric vehicles.

Ms. Wolf, who was also on the panel, said cycling was already filling the space for more affordable, sustainable transportation. “It is one of the cheapest transport modes and one with easiest access,” she said.

Still, the average e-bike in Germany sold for €2,800, or nearly $3,000, last year, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association, a high price point that has made leasing popular. Across Europe, some companies are offering employees a perk of leasing an e-bike for commuting. Delivery firms are also renting electric cargo bikes — the larger models capable of carrying heavy or bulky loads — for their drivers.

Automakers are getting into this market, too. “Bike leasing is booming,” said Christian Dahlheim, the chief executive of Volkswagen’s Financial Services division, which handles leasing of the company’s cars. Volkswagen recently teamed up with Pon, a Dutch company, in a venture focused on leasing bicycles to workers via their employers, with an eye to expanding in Europe and the United States.

Companies known for auto parts also see opportunities in e-bikes. Bosch, long a leading supplier of powertrains and other technology for German automakers, is now a major supplier of the batteries, motors and brakes for e-bikes. Technology originally developed for cars, such as anti-lock breaks, are now being used in e-bikes.

Increasingly, customers are looking for more nimble, lighter e-bikes that can carry cargo loads of up to 140 pounds. Such models are growing in popularity, with families seeking a car-free way to transport children and groceries.

Older riders who want to remain mobile and active, but are looking for what William Kraus, 67, called “a little boost,” are another growing target market. Mr. Kraus, who tried several models on display at the show in Munich, said he hadn’t decided on the right one yet for himself and his wife.

But he was convinced that the next vehicle he bought would be an e-bike.

“They take the strain out of riding and make it more fun,” he said. And while prices ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 were still high, they were a fraction of the $35,000 starting price for a new electric car.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/30/world/europe/germany-ebikes-transportation.html

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:

> Germany’s auto industry has noticed. Porsche offers a sporty, all-terrain
> e-bike — with the carmaker’s familiar gold-and-red crest under the
> handlebars. Audi has a similar model.

Can anyone see where this is going?

“A pedestrian was knocked down and killed by the rider of an Audi e-bike,
who in the usual fashion for cyclists fled the scene…”

> https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/30/world/europe/germany-ebikes-transportation.html

--
Spike

QUOTE: Sales of bicycles in Germany reached a record 7.36 billion euros, or $7.8 billion, in 2022, with e-bikes accounting for nearly half of sales, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association. The group is forecasting that this year, for the first time, Germans will buy more e-bikes than conventional models. ENDS

Aren't the thick Brextards insisting that Germany is in a recession while they wait for their unicorns to arrive?

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> QUOTE: Sales of bicycles in Germany reached a record 7.36 billion euros,
> or $7.8 billion, in 2022, with e-bikes accounting for nearly half of
> sales, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association. The group is
> forecasting that this year, for the first time, Germans will buy more
> e-bikes than conventional models. ENDS

> Aren't the thick Brextards insisting that Germany is in a recession while
> they wait for their unicorns to arrive?

It’s thick EU accountants that insist Germany is in a recession.

--
Spike

On Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 5:03:18 PM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> QUOTE: Sales of bicycles in Germany reached a record 7.36 billion euros, or $7.8 billion, in 2022, with e-bikes accounting for nearly half of sales, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association. The group is forecasting that this year, for the first time, Germans will buy more e-bikes than conventional models. ENDS
>
> Aren't the thick Brextards insisting that Germany is in a recession while they wait for their unicorns to arrive?

Oh dear - look at your own house first!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7VXLV6W8AAUFW7?format=png&name=medium

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 5:03:18 PM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:

>> Aren't the thick Brextards insisting that Germany is in a recession
>> while they wait for their unicorns to arrive?

Why are the Germans waiting for unicorns?

> Oh dear - look at your own house first!

> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7VXLV6W8AAUFW7?format=png&name=medium

Germany is in recession…The UK isn’t…😀

--
Spike

On Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 7:25:38 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> On Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 5:03:18 PM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> > QUOTE: Sales of bicycles in Germany reached a record 7.36 billion euros, or $7.8 billion, in 2022, with e-bikes accounting for nearly half of sales, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association. The group is forecasting that this year, for the first time, Germans will buy more e-bikes than conventional models. ENDS
> >
> > Aren't the thick Brextards insisting that Germany is in a recession while they wait for their unicorns to arrive?
> Oh dear - look at your own house first!
>
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7VXLV6W8AAUFW7?format=png&name=medium

Germany is not suffering from the vast losses caused by this:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7WRZBEWIAA8nlm?format=jpg&name=900x900

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 7:25:38 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
>> On Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 5:03:18 PM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
>>> QUOTE: Sales of bicycles in Germany reached a record 7.36 billion
>>> euros, or $7.8 billion, in 2022, with e-bikes accounting for nearly
>>> half of sales, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association.
>>> The group is forecasting that this year, for the first time, Germans
>>> will buy more e-bikes than conventional models. ENDS
>>>
>>> Aren't the thick Brextards insisting that Germany is in a recession
>>> while they wait for their unicorns to arrive?
>> Oh dear - look at your own house first!
>>
>> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7VXLV6W8AAUFW7?format=png&name=medium
>
> Germany is not suffering from the vast losses caused by this:
>
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7WRZBEWIAA8nlm?format=jpg&name=900x900

He’s in New Zealand. How much further away could he be?

--
Spike

On Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 11:40:07 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> On Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 7:25:38 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> > On Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 5:03:18 PM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> > > QUOTE: Sales of bicycles in Germany reached a record 7.36 billion euros, or $7.8 billion, in 2022, with e-bikes accounting for nearly half of sales, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association. The group is forecasting that this year, for the first time, Germans will buy more e-bikes than conventional models. ENDS
> > >
> > > Aren't the thick Brextards insisting that Germany is in a recession while they wait for their unicorns to arrive?
> > Oh dear - look at your own house first!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7WgDRVWQAAV8sp?format=jpg&name=large

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 11:40:07 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
>> On Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 7:25:38 AM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
>>> On Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 5:03:18 PM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
>>>> QUOTE: Sales of bicycles in Germany reached a record 7.36 billion
>>>> euros, or $7.8 billion, in 2022, with e-bikes accounting for nearly
>>>> half of sales, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association.
>>>> The group is forecasting that this year, for the first time, Germans
>>>> will buy more e-bikes than conventional models. ENDS
>>>>
>>>> Aren't the thick Brextards insisting that Germany is in a recession
>>>> while they wait for their unicorns to arrive?
>>> Oh dear - look at your own house first!
>
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7WgDRVWQAAV8sp?format=jpg&name=large

The UK's economy has grown faster since the start of the Covid pandemic
than initially thought, new figures show.

Revised data indicates that the UK has seen faster growth than France or
Germany since the end of 2019.

The growth figures had been expected to be upgraded, after the Office for
National Statistics (ONS) published new estimates earlier this month of how
the economy had performed since Covid.

However, analysts said the UK was still suffering from lacklustre growth.

The latest figures from the ONS indicated that the UK's economy has grown
by 1.8% since the pandemic started, whereas the previous estimate was a
0.2% contraction.

They also showed that the economy grew by 0.3% in the first three months of
this year, up from the 0.1% previously estimated.

The estimate for the April-to-June quarter was unchanged at 0.2%.

Following the latest set of revisions, ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner
said the UK's growth rate was "almost unrevised over the last 18 months".

What is GDP and how does it affect me?

The big problem holding back the UK economy
UK heading for record tax levels, says think tank
The size of an economy is measured by Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, which
tries to cover all the activity of companies, governments and individuals
in a country.

The ONS revises GDP figures over time as it receives more information about
how the economy performed.

Earlier this month, the ONS had said that "richer data" from its annual
survey meant that it now estimated the UK economy was larger than
previously estimated in the final three months of 2021 compared to
pre-pandemic levels.

The latest set of figures, means the UK's growth since the pandemic exceeds
that of 1.7% in France and 0.2% in Germany.

Responding to the new data, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: "We know that the
British economy recovered faster from the pandemic than anyone previously
thought and data out today once again proves the doubters wrong.

"We were among the fastest countries in the G7 to recover from the pandemic
and since 2020 we have grown faster than France and Germany."
However, Ruth Gregory, deputy chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said
the latest ONS release "changes very little".

"The data leaves the economy still only 0.6% above its level a year ago,"
she said.

"It does not change the big picture that the economy has lagged behind all
other G7 countries aside from Germany and France since the pandemic. And
that's before the full drag from higher interest rates has been felt."

Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, noted that
when it came to international comparisons, "a stable picture might take
some time to emerge, given that statistical authorities in other countries
are revising their data too".

The most recent GDP figures showed that the economy shrank by 0.5% in July,
due to a combination of strike action and the impact of wet weather, and
there have been concerns over the economy's weak performance in recent
months.
However, Mr Tombs said he thought that the UK would avoid a recession in
the second half of this year, helped by the recent slowdown in the rate of
consumer price rises.

<https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66957412?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA>

--
Spike

> Germany is not suffering from the vast losses caused by this either:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7XRD8bWkAALZyU?format=jpg&name=small

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Germany is not suffering from the vast losses caused by this either:
>
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7XRD8bWkAALZyU?format=jpg&name=small

“The latest set of figures, means the UK's growth since the pandemic
exceeds that of 1.7% in France and 0.2% in Germany.”

--
Spike

QUOTE: Several German firms are among the leading e-bike manufacturers in Europe, along with rivals in France, Italy and the Netherlands. In the first quarter of this year, exports of battery-powered bicycles made in Germany jumped 56 percent from a year earlier, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association. ENDS

The UK has a muddy field called "Britishvolt" that went bust. :-)
Beat that you krauts.

Simon Mason <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> QUOTE: Several German firms are among the leading e-bike manufacturers in
> Europe, along with rivals in France, Italy and the Netherlands. In the
> first quarter of this year, exports of battery-powered bicycles made in
> Germany jumped 56 percent from a year earlier, according to the German
> Bicycle Industry Association. ENDS
>
> The UK has a muddy field called "Britishvolt" that went bust. :-)
> Beat that you krauts.

Germany is in recession, why do you think people there are buying bicycles?

--
Spike

On Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 5:03:07 PM UTC+1, Simon Mason wrote:
> QUOTE: Several German firms are among the leading e-bike manufacturers in Europe, along with rivals in France, Italy and the Netherlands. In the first quarter of this year, exports of battery-powered bicycles made in Germany jumped 56 percent from a year earlier, according to the German Bicycle Industry Association. ENDS
>
> The UK has a muddy field called "Britishvolt" that went bust. :-)
> Beat that you krauts.

And well done today, lads.

Europe together in friendship.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7X-jp1XgAAd5x9?format=jpg&name=small