Volume 20, nr. 3 March 2016
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Trade Journal for the Bicycle, E-Bike & Scooter Market
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29 Taipei Show Reflects President Giuseppe Bigolin on Selle Italia’s Transformation INTERVIEW
AXA SMART E-LOCK
P. 7
P. 12
MARKET REPORT UK
P. 17
Opposite Market Movements - EU and China
SHOW REVIEW
P. 8
Accell Group’s Haibike to trigger new bestselling e-bike category
The Next Big Thing Is Here: e-MTBs! AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands – It came about accidentally, but was soon recognised for its future potential. What Haibike presented two years ago at Eurobike has turned into a huge sales hit. And has the ability to trigger much more.
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ow sales of electric mountain bikes have developed since their first big appearance at the Haibike booth at Eurobike 2014 was revealed at the press presentation for Accell Group’s 2015 financial results,
Asian OEMs Open Bicycle Factories in Europe
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GUEDA, Portugal - Taiwan’s Fritz Jou Manufacturing is opening a bicycle factory at Bike Valley Portugal. The company announced this at the Taipei Cycle Show in early March. It’s a major step forward in the ‘bringing production back to Europe’ initiatives. The Fritz Jou facility will have a capacity of 250,000 units annually and is expected to start production by the end of 2016. William Deng’s Oscar Bikes from China is also establishing a 600,000 unit assembly facility in Portugal’s Bike Valley. More on page 8.
held at the end of February. Not only the sales figures were surprising. Accell Group’s CEO René Takens’ remarks were also revealing. He stated, “Actually we had never thought about creating electric mountain bikes. But it came about and is much more successful than we ever imagined.” How successful e-MTBs proved to be last year for Accell Group, and in particular for its Haibike brand, was also revealed at the financial results presentation. In 2015 Accell Group saw its turnover made with bicycle sales of all categories (including ebikes) grow by about 10%. That growth came mostly from the skyrocketing sale of e-MTBs. Last year 20% of the total 2015 turnover gener-
ated with e-bike sales was made with e-MTBs. The share of electric bicycles in Accell Group’s total turnover made with bicycles of all categories stood at 45%; up 4% on the 2014 share. The total turnover made with the sale of bicycles of all categories stood at €719 million. It means that, of that total about €324 million came from the sale of e-bikes and €65 million of that from e-MTBs. Skyrocketing e-MTB sales have turned Haibike into Accell Group’s current biggest brand. The e-MTBs sales success also left its mark on bike sales in the whole of Germany. The 2015 Market Report by industry association ZIV (see below on this page) says that the sales volume of e-bikes posted double-digit
German Bike Market Shows Growth in All Segments with E-Bikes Outperforming BERLIN, Germany – The 2015 sales statistics presented by industry association ZIV show outstanding performance by the German bike market. Cycling has become popular again in Germany, resulting in an increase in sales and production of bicycles, e-bikes, parts, and components in the home market as well as in exports. Industry association Zweirad Industry Verband (ZIV) estimates 2015 sale of bicycles and e-bikes at, “4.35 million units, an increase of 6.6% compared to 2014. The sales volume of ebikes posted a double-digit growth of 11.5% to 535,000 units. In 2014 e-bike sales stood at 480,000 units. Regular bicycles and e-bikes
generated a turnover of €2.42 billion, 12% more than in 2014. Overall sales of bicycles, parts and components in Germany amounted to approximately €5 billion.” Siegfried Neuberger, ZIV managing director stated, “2014 was already a very positive year for the German bicycle industry. We are therefore all the more pleased that this positive trend continued. The reasons for this success are favourable weather conditions, an increased use of bicycles in everyday mobility, as well as bicycles being trendy.” A comprehensive Market Report Germany 2015 will appear in Bike Europe’s April print and digital edition.
growth of 11.5% to a total of 535,000 units. In volume the e-bike segment now represents 12.5% of the total market, a slight increase on 2014. Thanks to e-MTBs the e-bike buyers are getting younger and sportier. In addition to Germany, it looks like e-MTBs have the ability to unlock sales of electric bikes in other European markets. Accell’s CEO René Takens said at the financial results presentation, “Next to the Alpine countries e-MTB sales also took off in other mountainous regions, like in the North of Spain. Currently it is a European product; sales in the US are still small. But apart from that we are lucky to be able to say that we are leading in this segment.” More on page 5.
Mavic Owner Amer Sports Acquires ENVE Composites
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ELSINKI, Finland – To grow its slow cycling business (-2% in 2015), Amer Sports Corporation has acquired ENVE Composites. Amer Sports reports that, “the US based company ENVE brings capabilities in carbon technology, and it offers operational scale and synergy benefits complementing our cycling category.” The acquisition should accelerate Amer Sports Cycling business, especially in the US, and provide further expansion opportunities internationally. ENVE produces carbon components for road and mountain bikes.