In Europe, Bikes Outsell Cars

Good article from NPR on bikes outselling cars in most European countries. The chart to the right is from the article.  

Bikes outsold cars in the U.S. too, if you count kids bikes. In 2012 there were roughly 18 million bikes sold in the U.S. versus 14.3 million cars and light trucks.  

But if you exclude kids bikes (which the industry defines as bikes with wheels smaller than 20 inches), 2012 U.S. bike sales were about 13 million.  

While not yet popular in the U.S., electric bike sales are surging in many countries.  

Quartz's Consider the e-bike: can 200 million Chinese be wrong covers this trend.

Key quote:

The number of electric-powered bicycles in China just passed the 200 million mark, manufactures are reporting 200% annual sales growth in Brazil, sales are strong in Europe and the Philippines is ordering 100,000 electricity-powered three wheelers, just one of several Asian nations investing in e-bikes.

I think the coolest electric bike is the Elf, from Organic Transit. It costs $5000, but as you can see from the picture below is very car-like.

As we've pointed out in the past, the growth of the bike industry is leading to increasing numbers of small and specialty bike manufacturers. This is leading to bike manufacturing becoming yet another example of a barbell industry structure.  

Comments

[buy and sell cars]

In Philippines its only natural that bikes outsell cars because most the people living in our country are poor and don't have enough money to buy a car but I never expect that in a rich country like Europe bikes outsell cars.