Electric assist bike sales gearing up for a big 2009

(Emma Vandore rides her electric bike in the streets of paris. Source Shanghaidaily)

Here's some interesting numbers on the international side of electric bikes. This story from Shanghai Daily shows huge growth in the e-bike market in the coming year... mostly for Europe, but there's even mention of market growth in the USA up from 10,000 units to possibly over 100,000 units. Here's a bit from the news article.

More than 10,000 electric bikes were sold in France last year, up from 6,000 in 2006, according to the Conseil National des Professions du Cycle, an association of bike professionals.

Elsewhere in Europe, sales of power-assisted bikes in Germany this year are expected to double the 60,000 sold in 2007, while in the Netherlands, sales of electric bikes increased from 45,000 in 2006 to 89,000 last year. Sales there are estimated to reach 121,000 this year.

The figures in the Netherlands compare with 10,000 units sold in the vastly larger United States in 2007, up from 6,000 in 2006, according to the National Bicycle Dealers Association. However, other sources say sales figures are had to come by and the total US sales could be well over 100,000.

Advances in technology - which has led to lighter batteries capable of running for 40 to 80 kilometers - means electric bikes are competing with scooters and motorbikes.

Electric bikes cost almost nothing to run or maintain and for the daredevil rider offer additional benefits: no helmet, no registration, and no license.

Jean-Paul Massot, a 30-year-old teacher who commutes 8 kilometers to work each day in Paris, says he's willing to pay up to 1,500 euros (US$2,200) for an electric bike - an amount which could get him a gasoline-powered scooter.

"But I don't want to pay for gasoline," he said. "And scooters are polluting and noisy."

Hear THAT ScooterScoop? Polluty and noisy! ;)