the electric bicycle market | Italy

1.1 Definition and presentation

According to the Highway Code, the electric bicycle or pedal assisted bicycle is defined as"Velocipede equipped with an auxiliary electric motor with a maximum continuous rated power of 0.25 kilowatts whose power supply is gradually reduced and finally cut off when the vehicle reaches a speed of 25 km/h, or sooner if the cyclist stops pedaling." it is necessary to distinguish between pedal-assisted bicycles and electric bicycles, for which the cyclist does not have to pedal to move them forward and they look more like real mopeds.

The global pedal-assisted bicycle market has been growing in recent years, and is expected to continue growing at a rate of 10.78% through 2025. The main factors driving the market growth are government support for pedal-assisted bicycles, a growing desire among users to use environmentally friendly and reliable alternatives, and rising fuel costs.

Europe holds the largest share of the pedal assisted bicycle market, dominated by Germany, followed by France and Italy. Pedal assisted bicycles are the preferred mode of mobility in Germany. North America is expected to be the region will see the fastest growth.

In Italy, the broader bicycle market grew by 7% in 2019, mainly driven by the electric bicycle and pedal-assisted bicycle segment. The latter, in fact, grew by 13%. In addition, Italians are increasingly buying Italian pedal-assist bicycles, whose domestic production grew 209% in just one year. In recent years, the pedal assisted bicycle market has attracted many companies. Some operators have decided to specialize, like Italwin, while others are diversifying their offer.

Thanks to numerous incentives from the Italian government, the number of pedal-assisted bicycle sales is expected to continue to rise in the coming years, cannibalizing part of the traditional bicycle segment.