Electric bicycles are the world’s best-selling electric vehicles with sales expected to reach over 30 million units in 2012. E-bicycle sales volumes are being driven by macroeconomic trends such as the growth of urbanization and the increasing need for low-cost transportation in developing markets. Additionally, the e-bicycle market is very broad, with a number of manufacturers offering different styles including throttle-controlled drive trains, pedal-assist electric bicycles (or pedelecs), and scooter-style electric bicycles. E-bicycle component companies have successfully lowered the cost of entry for manufacturers looking to enter the market. However, the market in North America and Latin America continues to struggle with a weak distribution network and modest demand. As a result, the e-bicycle market is experiencing an accelerated rate of acquisitions and business failures.

China is the largest market for e-bicycles and 92% of all e-bicycle sales are within China. The vast majority of the e-bicycles sold in China utilize sealed lead acid (SLA) batteries. While this has resulted in extremely low cost e-bicycles in China, it has also led to a number of challenges including e-bicycle traffic congestion, lead contamination, and manufacturers effectively ignoring laws relating to e-bicycles speed and weight limits.

This Pike Research report provides a comprehensive analysis of the worldwide e-bicycle and e-bicycle battery industry including an examination of market forces, technology issues, government policy influences, the competitive landscape, and key drivers of growth. The study includes global forecasts for e-bicycle units and e-bicycle batteries through 2017, segmented by world region and key countries.