US E-Bike Industry Braces for More Tariffs
Plus, Vanmoof restarts retail sales in the UK.
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What You Need to Know Today
During last week’s Micromobility America conference, McKinsey shared positive news for the US market, highlighting the potential for shared micromobility to grow to 400M trips by 2030 and 540M trips by 2035.
Meanwhile the e-bike industry is bracing for Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs on Chinese imports. At Micromobility America, several top e-bike executives shared their plans to relocate production to Taiwan, Mexico, or Southeast Asia as a result.
Vanmoof is resuming UK sales of A5 and S5 e-bikes. The Lavoie-owned startup will begin selling through eight retailers, adding D2C in the future.
Joyride announced Revii, a new rental app for golf carts and LSVs that offers features such as keyless access, in-app payments, and other fleet management tools.
The popularity of e-bikes continues to rise in the Netherlands. In 2023, e-bikes accounted for 56% of all Dutch bike sales.
Following the launch of its solar-powered e-bike charging station, Beam announced the off-grid BeamPatrol law enforcement charging station which includes four electric Zero Motorcycles and a self-sustaining solar-powered charging station.
Barcelona is launching the largest shared fleet of electric motorcycles in Europe, with plans to deploy 10,000 vehicles by the end of 2024.
Following a spate of e-bike fires, more UK insurance companies are denying coverage to bike shops, putting their businesses in jeopardy.
London-based e-bike subscription service Buzzbike is shutting down. The closure comes after the company’s largest shareholder, Signa Sports United, filed for insolvency last year.
A conservationist is suing federal and state land management agencies over the year-round use of high-speed e-bikes on singletrack trails in the Sun Valley area, arguing that e-bike usage is “giving little notice or time for wildlife to move, escape, or rest.”
As part of a company-wide restructuring, Netherlands-based Pon Bike group will close its Santa Cruz assembly plant in Mainz, Germany.
Shared micromobility operator Nextbike is now operating in 24 European countries with new expansion into Greece, Kosovo, and Portugal, as well as the Alsace region in France.
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I don’t think bike brands really grasp what bike shops are up against to keep a profitable business. Insurance is going to continue to surge due to e-bike fires and general thefts increasing.