The Netherlands – Sales of e-bikes like the Panasonic Vivi RX-10S are now leading the sales of conventional bicycles.
2008/2009 saw that, for the first time, the Dutch spent more on electric bikes than they did on conventional bikes.
Marketing services company GfK Retail and Technologyhas been tracking sales in Dutch bike shops since 1997.
By the end of 2008, electric bike sales accounted for 10 percent of the market according to BOVAG, the Dutch dealer association. The forecast had been for 120,000 e-bike sales. In the end, it was nearer 140,000.
The top selling e-bike brands in independent bike shops are Sparta and Batavus, then Gazelle and Giant, with Koga-Miyata in fifth place. The cheaper e-bikes tend to be bought in department and DIY stores, but 80 percent of e-bike sales are through dealers at an average price of nearly 2,000 euros.
At the Eurobike 2009 show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, in early September, visitors were able to test-drive new models. More than 50 top brands ere exhibited.
