Bike shipments in Germany to dealers dropped by 5.5 percent to a total of 3.75 million units in 2013. Sales were depressed by a long winter and a rainy summer. E-bikes, however, continued to perform strongly with sales rising by 7.9 percent to a total of 410,000 units. With these sales figures, the e-bike segment reached an unprecedented 11 percent share of the German market. E-bikes now represent the third largest category in Germany after city and trekking bikes. It is estimated that today there are around 1.6 million e-bikes currently in the country.
In value terms, the German bike market including e-bikes declined by 2.5 percent to € 1.98 billion. The total market including parts and accessories sales and workshop turnover stood at nearly €4 billion, according to an estimate by Zweirad Industrie Verband (ZIV), Germany\'s cycle industry association.
The average sales price of bicycles grew by 1 percent to €520, with e-bikes contributing to this rise.
Production of bicycles and e-bicycles in Germany dropped by 2.3 percent to 2.16 million units in 2013. Imports also decreased, down 2.4 percent to 2.87 million units. In contrast, bicycle exports grew 8.5 percent to 1.28 million units.
Upon presenting the 2013 market figures, Siegfried Neuberger, ZIV's manager, stressed that the “bicycle mood” in Germany is excellent, thanks to the ongoing emphasis by politicians and activists on cycling as part of a healthy, inexpensive and environmental-friendly lifestyle.
