The electric bike continues to seduce the French. After crazy years 2020 and 2021, linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, they continued their progression in 2022 and now represent more than one in four bikes sold in France. 738,454 electric bikes (VAE) were sold during the year (+12%), representing 28% of the market, according to figures published Thursday by the Union Sport & Cycle, which represents the sector.

"This figure is extraordinary!" said Jérôme Valentin, vice-president of the organisation and director of Cycleurope, one of France's leading bicycle producers (along with the Gitane and Peugeot brands). "We are coming out of two years of health crisis that have been very good for cycling, and we expected a year of consolidation, with a staggered figure. Well, no, demand hasn't gone down," he said in an online presentation.

Nearly 2,000 euros on average

Electric bikes are the delight of bicycle manufacturers, specialists in the sale and repair of cycles, who distribute the majority. If the major sports brands (Decathlon, Intersport) had fallen behind, they experienced unprecedented growth in sales in 2022, with much cheaper ranges. Much more expensive than their "muscular" ancestors, and heavily subsidized, e-bikes sold on average at 1,965 euros.

In particular, mountain bikes and electric mountain bikes have experienced very strong growth, as has the niche sector of cargo bikes, capable of transporting children as goods. In total, the French cycle market now represents 3.6 billion euros, between electric and "muscular" bikes, including maintenance and sale of accessories.

A push at the expense of traditional cycling

However, the number of bikes sold fell to 2,596,199 units (-7%). Because this push for electric bikes has come at the expense of traditional bikes (-13% of bikes sold in 2022). "Overall, the major cycling countries (Netherlands, Germany) have experienced exactly the same trends, with a decline in conventional cycling and an increase in market value," Valentin said. "The decline in conventional bikes is linked to a decline in lower-priced bikes, i.e. children's and entry-level models, among multisport [superstores]."

"Muscle" city bikes have also declined after sharp increases in recent years, with a "saturation" of family equipment, and a more frequent use of second-hand bikes (the France is estimated to have between 30 and 35 million bikes in cellars and garages). The only ones to progress are the "gravel", another niche of fast bikes but more versatile than road bikes, and which have cannibalized them a little.

Target of two million bicycles produced by 2030

The production of bicycles in France was again driven by electric vehicles, at more than 850,000 units (+7%), and the sector expects to pass the 900,000 mark in 2023. The government, which is preparing a new bike plan for the spring, has given the industry a very ambitious target of two million bikes produced in France by 2030, with a sector integrating all parts of the bike, as in the 1980s.

Imports of full bikes from Italy, Romania, Portugal or Taiwan still represent the majority of the market, but they fell by 7% in 2022. "In the next 5 to 7 years, we have considerable growth potential" with the electric bike, said Jérôme Valentin. "We have before us a market of more than three billion euros." In 2022 in the Netherlands, for the first time, more than half of the bikes sold were electric.

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