Zweirad-Industrie-Verband 2023 annual report: Bicycles & e-bikes remain in demand

The German Bicycle Industry Association (ZIV) has presented encouraging market data for 2023. The bicycle industry appears to be able to take the momentum from the pandemic with it after all. Last year, the number of bicycles manufactured and sold in Germany was similar to that of the coronavirus boom year 2020. So good news all round? Read the latest information on the current situation in the industry here.

"Despite the economic situation, bicycles and e-bikes are very popular with consumers," said Burkhard Stork, Managing Director of the German Bicycle Industry Association ZIV, at the presentation of the figures from 2023, proudly explaining: "With regard to the market and innovation driver e-bikes, companies from the German bicycle industry are now playing a pioneering role worldwide. 'Engineered in Germany' and 'Made in Europe' are the guarantors of engineering skill, design, quality, sustainability and value retention when it comes to e-bikes."

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Production like during the coronavirus boom - more e-bikes sold for the first time

The German bicycle industry can therefore apparently pat itself on the back with satisfaction. Specifically, bicycle production and bicycle sales have returned to a very high level after the turbulence of recent years - comparable to the coronavirus-related bicycle boom year of 2020. 2.3 million bicycles and e-bikes were produced in Germany last year, plus around 710,000 bikes from contract manufacturing by German companies abroad.

The total number of bicycles and e-bikes in Germany rose to 84 million in 2023 (2022: 82.8 million), roughly reaching the population figure of 84.7 million estimated by the Federal Statistical Office for 2023. You could almost say that every pair of legs in Germany has a bicycle. Pedelecs account for a good 13% of this figure, with around 11 million e-bikes in Germany.

In addition to new entrants buying their first bike, the ZIV sees a trend towards second or third bikes for leisure, sport or transport. And for the first time, more e-bikes 53% (2022: 48%) than purely muscle-powered bikes (47%) were sold in Germany in 2023. The final figure: 1.9 million classic bikes to 2.1 million e-bikes.

High sales & the majority buy in-store

The one percentage point increase in the share of specialist retailers to 77% in 2023 is particularly pleasing. Online retail accounts for the rest. The often cheap junk goods from hypermarkets, DIY stores and discounters continue to fade into insignificance with a market share of 1% (minus 1%).

The sales figures for the German bicycle industry are certainly impressive - and the bankruptcy reports despite the recent times. This is particularly noticeable in comparison to pre-corona times. In 2023, bicycles and e-bikes worth a total of €7.06 billion were sold in Germany (2022: €7.36 billion, 2021: €6.56 billion, 2019: €4 billion).

The average bike is cheap - E-bike prices on the rise

Finally, it is interesting to look at the average sales prices. Across all sales channels (specialist retailers, online, self-service stores, etc.), the gross average price for bicycles in 2023 was just €470 (2022: €500) and for e-bikes €2950 (2022: €2800). Most bikes that are sold are therefore quite cheap. According to the industry association, however, the trendy and naturally expensive cargo bikes are driving up the average price of e-bikes.

Germans may currently be cautious in their consumption overall, but this does not seem to apply to the purchase of bicycles, according to the ZIV. - as long as they don't cost that much. Some suppliers of high-quality and high-priced bicycles are still complaining about a noticeable reluctance to buy.

Conclusion: popularity of bicycles & e-bikes will continue to rise in the future

The industry association's conclusion and outlook for the future are correspondingly positive. "The rising costs of mobility, energy, rents and living costs as well as increasing environmental and health awareness are framework conditions that are currently increasing the popularity of bicycles and e-bikes and will certainly continue to do so in the future. Politicians must not forget the bicycle and must finally fully recognise its potential," says ZIV Managing Director Burkhard Stork, summarising the utopia of the bicycle industry.

So anyone who can no longer afford a car in the future, for whatever reason, could sooner or later switch to a bike. The potential here: As of 1 January 2024, the Federal Motor Transport Authority reported almost 50 million registered cars in Germany, a new record every year. While only around one in three people in Berlin own a car, some rural regions in Germany have a vehicle density of around one car per registered person. And that includes around 17% of under-18s. With this in mind: spring is coming, enough with the numbers - get on your bike!