E-bike retains solid presence in mature markets 

With e-bikes rising to a volume market share of 45% and 49% in Switzerland and Austria respectively, both countries made significant gains in 2022. Switzerland saw the largest increase in e-bike sales in the German-speaking countries and Austria broke records in both unit sales and sales value, with e-bikes sales alone topping €1 billion.

E-bike gains ground in Switzerland and Austria

Swiss e-bike market share nearing 50% 

For the third year in a row, 2022 was not a normal one in the Swiss bicycle market. Although e-bike deliveries rose for the first time to over 200,000 units, with an increase of 17%, the overall market marginally shrank again to 483,562 units. This was due to the decline in traditional bicycle sales.

According to Velosuisse’s market statistics, 2022 provided a mirror image of the previous year: as weak as 2021 ended due to delivery problems, the first half of the year continued to be subdued. From the summer onwards, however, the market situation visibly normalised and the backlog of orders was made up, in some cases like an avalanche. In total overall sales dropped 2% compared to 2021.

High gains for e-bikes

By the end of the year, 218,730 e-bikes had been delivered to the market, an increase of 17% compared to 2021 (the highest rate in the German-speaking countries). On the other hand, the trend for purely muscle-powered bicycles continued to decline, with sales of 264,832 units, down 19%. The sales ratio of e-bikes to bicycles in Switzerland has now reached 45%, somewhat less than in the neighbouring countries of Germany and Austria (both 48%). But it is likely that every second new bike will be an e-bike this year.

Supermarkets reeled back again

After the supermarket chains were able to record an extraordinary 58% increase in e-bike sales in 2021, ‘normal’ conditions prevailed again in 2022. While the supermarkets increased by a whole 6%, the IBDs were able to increase electric sales by 21% thanks to the restored supply capability. It was even able to expand its leading role in this segment to 81.5%.

Austrian e-bike sales crack €1 billion mark

The Austrian bicycle market once again broke records in 2022. Both unit and value sales topped those in 2021, with the total sales value amounting to €1.39 billion. More importantly, e-bike sales alone cracked the €1 billion mark for the first time, accounting for 74% of the sales value.

Over the last five years total bicycle unit sales in Austria have settled at a high level of around 480,000 units per year. As far as 2022 is concerned, the 506,159 units sold through the domestic bicycle and sporting goods specialty retail world is up 3.2% compared to 2021. From these unit sales, around 247,000 were e-bikes, a rise of 11%. This gives e-bikes a 49% market share. In other words, every second bicycle sold in Austria was an e-bike.

E-bikes account for three quarters of sales value

E-bikes account for 74% of total value sales. “Thanks to tax benefits from company bike models, customers are increasingly reaching for higher-priced e-bikes with extensive equipment,” is noted out of the Vienna based Austrian Association of Sporting Goods Manufacturers and Sports Equipment Suppliers (VSSÖ). Last year Austrian consumers spent an average of €4,203 (up 23.3%) on an e-bike. In comparison, for non-motorised bicycles the average price was €1,790 (up 39%) and for kids and juvenile bikes €473 (up 4.2%).

Bicycle sales per category

In terms of ‘bread and butter’ bicycle sales, the cyclecross and gravel-bike category saw the biggest upshift. With 115% growth, unit sales more than doubled up to 10,187 units. The second largest growth was achieved with folding bikes (3,917 units, up 63%).