Sales volume of new e-bikes in the Netherlands 2004-2022

The electric bicycle, or e-bike, is a bicycle equipped with an auxiliary electric motor and gives pedal assistance. The sales volume of new e-bikes increased annually between 2004 and 2020 in the Netherlands. In 2004, there were roughly 25,000 new e-bikes sold and by 2020 this had increased significantly, to 547,000 new electric bicycle sales. There was a particularly steep increase in sales in 2020, partly fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, and sales dropped from this level in 2021 and stood at 486,000 in 2022. They remained at a higher level though than they had been before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2007, just over five percent of the total new bicycle sales were electric bikes, whereas in 2022 this had grown to 57 percent.

Sales volume growth in speed pedelecs

Another variant of the electric bicycle is the speed pedelec, an electric bicycle that supports higher speeds than a normal e-bike. With a maximum speed of 45 kilometers per hour, it is a popular bicycle among individuals that need to bike longer distances for daily commute and can function as a replacement for a car. In 2022, approximately 4,370 speed pedelecs were sold in the Netherlands, about 350 more than in the previous year. In terms of the sales volume, the German brand Stromer had the highest sales, followed by Dutch brand Gazelle.

E-bike export volume increase within Europe

Examining the export volume of electric bicycles in the Netherlands, exports within Europe grew consistently between 2014 and 2021. 31,000 e-bikes were exported in 2014, by 2021 the volume had increased to over 700,000 electric bicycles. Meanwhile, the export volume to non-European countries has been less consistent, varying substantially over this period and reaching a high of close to 40,000 units exported outside the EU in 2019.