The Dutch spend more on electric bikes
The Dutch are continuing to take to electric bikes in a big way. For the first time ever, the Dutch are spending more on electric bikes than conventional city bikes, so reports the marketing services company GfK Retail and Technology who have been tracking sales in Dutch bike shops since 1997.
In the first three quarters of 2008 sales were reportedly up 52 percent in value and 35 percent in volume.
In 2008, electric bike sales accounted for 10 percent of the market according to BOVAG, the Dutch dealer association. The forecast had been for 120,000 electric bike sales, by the year end it was closer to 140,000.
The same trends could be seen right across Europe where electric bike sales for 2008 have been estimated at 500,000, with an expectation of around 700,000 for 2009. According to the general manager of Germany’s bicycle industry association, “E-bikes are hot right now”, where an increase of anything between 20 and 50 percent for this year is expected.
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