E-mountain bikes 2022: More expensive than ever

Dealers' and bike manufacturers' warehouses are slowly filling up again, the worst supply bottlenecks seem to be over. Nevertheless, bikes and e-bikes are getting more and more expensive. And even if the chances of getting hold of your dream bike are increasing again, you can't hope for any great bargains. E-MTBs are particularly affected by this, as demand remains high, but the availability of e-bikes on the market is still not at pre-pandemic levels. Prices will continue to rise accordingly in 2022.

Read what scene insiders have to say about the price trend and how the situation will continue to develop in EMTB 01/2022. We also tested the most exciting all-mountain bikes for the new season, Orbea's new Rise H, affordable Bosch bikes and the belt drive as an alternative to derailleur gears. Now on newsstands, in the App and in the EMTB online shop available.

Are manufacturers using the high demand as an opportunity to push through higher margins? The fact is, that the Bike prices up five to ten per cent for almost all manufacturers compared to 2021 are. But there are tangible reasons for this: Increased raw material prices, exploding freight costs, high inflation, a strong dollar, still limited production capacities in East Asia and correspondingly increased production costs. At least that's what the manufacturers argue. But first an overview.

E-MTB prices at the start of 2022: price increases of five per cent and more

The fact that e-bikes in particular are becoming increasingly expensive is nothing new. For example, the Comparison portal Idealo for all e-bikes sold via the platform, the average price for 2021 has risen by 4.8 per cent compared to the previous year. The average e-bike here now costs 2835 euros. The figures from the industry medium are even more significant SAZ Bikeespecially for E-MTBs compared to 2020. Price jump of a good 10 per cent recorded. In 2021, the average e-MTB cost 3800 euros. Unfortunately, e-MTBs are not the exception here: the price jump for trekking bikes was even slightly higher at just under eleven per cent.

Moreover, the phenomenon is not new. Average prices for e-bikes have risen by several hundred euros a year since 2018as can be seen from the statistics of both SAZ Bike and the ADFC. However, it is also a fact that the price increases have never been as significant as they were from 2020 to 2021, and this trend is likely to continue even more dramatically in 2022.

Which e-mountainbikes will be more expensive in 2022?

In order to obtain a detailed overview of the price increases that can be expected in 2022, we asked over 60 bicycle and e-bike manufacturers requestedhow much they will raise prices in 2022 or have already done so. Almost half of the manufacturers provided us with information. In some cases, the price increases are only two to three per cent, but most are five per cent or more. Many manufacturers also refer to the rise in transport costs and other price increases in the production chain, as well as high inflation. Here is an overview of the feedback from those manufacturers who also offer e-MTBs.

Interesting: Some companies from the component distribution sector, such as Cosmicsports with brands like Crankbrothers, Troy Lee Designs and E-Thirteen, have also announced that they will have to raise their prices significantly for 2022. Other component and accessory manufacturers are also affected and are passing on the increased production costs to their customers. This means that biking is likely to be more expensive in 2022 than ever before.

Why e-bikes are becoming more expensive - the details

Manufacturers cite many different reasons for the price increase. However, almost every manufacturer cites the increased freight costs as one of the most important reasons. Normally, freight costs only account for a small proportion of the production costs of an E-MTB, but because container freight has become so expensive, it is now having an impact on end consumer prices. According to the Drewry World Container Index, the cost of transporting a standard container from Shanghai to Rotterdam at the beginning of 2020 was still usually 2,000 dollars, whereas at the beginning of 2022 the price was an enormous 14,000 dollars. As long waiting times were also inevitable for container freight, some manufacturers also switched to even more expensive air freight in order to be able to meet demand in Europe more quickly.

And it's not just freight space that is in short supply. The Production capacities in Asia are still not at pre-pandemic levels. Due to the lower production capacities and high demand, suppliers have the upper hand and at the same time have to deal with the increased raw material and energy prices to fight. Costs in actual production are also rising. Crude oil as well as rubber and ready-to-use plastics have become more expensive, and metals are particularly affected.

The high inflation rate and the relatively strong dollar are causing additional problems for European bike manufacturers. This is because suppliers in the Far East pay them in dollars or yen. Those who have secured an exchange rate are protected from further developments in the future, but are paying more for the time being. "In addition to an inflation rate of around five per cent, raw material prices have risen by around 25 per cent and will continue to rise. On top of this, container costs have risen eightfold. This quickly leads to a price increase of 5-10 per cent per bike," says Günther Schoberth-Schwingenstein from Corratec, summarising the developments.

Price drivers for E-MTBs: technical development and battery sizes

In addition to the increased production and freight costs, technical developments are also driving up the prices of modern e-MTBs. Two years ago, small 500 Wh batteries, ten-speed or eleven-speed drivetrains and cheaper motors were common, especially for entry-level models. The successor models from 2022 at the latest with larger 625 batteries and twelve-speed drives. There are also very few e-MTBs that do not rely on the top motors from Shimano, Bosch and others. Although these offer more power and often significantly better smartphone connectivity, they force the manufacturer to make savings on the rest of the equipment or to increase the price.

For the time being, there is no sign of prices easing again. However, it is clear that the market will saturate at some point. "Then we will see whether the price level can be maintained beyond the boom. You have to keep a close eye on that," says specialist dealer Daniel Chiasto from Alpha Bikes.

Read what other scene insiders have to say about the price trend and how the situation will continue to develop in EMTB 01/2022. We also tested the most exciting all-mountain bikes for the new season, Orbea's new Rise H, affordable Bosch bikes and the belt drive as an alternative to derailleur gears. Now in specialised shops, in the App and in the EMTB online shop available.