The German bike industry registered a 7 percent decline in domestic deliveries of new bicycles and e-bikes in the first half of 2013, mostly due to the poor spring weather, but with the good summer weather the drop is expected to be compensated for in the second half of the year. Figures were released by the German industry association “Zweirad Industrie Verband” (ZIV) at the opening of Eurobike 2013 in Friedrichshafen. Production declined by 2.4 percent to about 1.65 million units as compared to the first half of 2012. Bike imports dropped 5 percent to 1.8 million units. Exports, however, rose 9.3 percent to 790,000 units. E-bike sales dropped only by 2 to 3 percent in the first half of the year and thanks to the positive developments in July and August, the industry association anticipates that around 430,000 e-bikes will be sold in 2013, representing a 13 percent increase over 2012. For the following years, ZIV forecasts further growth for e-bike sales up to an annual level of 600,000 units, taking a 15 percent share of the German market.

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