Why e-bike sales have doubled in Australia and may one day overtake cars
E-bike sales are skyrocketing in Australia, and are predicted to keep on rising. This is why Aussies are being targeted.
Motoring
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Don’t be surprised if your car is overtaken by a bicycle this year … even when it is going up a hill, even in summer heat, or even if the rider isn’t wearing Lycra.
Electric bikes are making inroads into the Australian market in 2020, with their sales almost doubling over the past year and demand soaring as more people consider new ways to exercise safely outdoors and alternatives to public transport.
Even international brands are now targeting customers Down Under, with one of the most popular crowd-funded projects of all time launching a push for electric pushbikes in the country.
Bicycle Industries Australia general manager Peter Bourke said the new form of transport had proved the “shining star in an industry already growing in demand” this year.
The group’s annual survey found Aussies bought 27,000 motorised bikes in the 2018-2019 financial year, but almost twice as many — 50,000 e-bikes — during last 12 months.
E-bikes have ridden a rocky path to success in Australia, lacking consistent national laws until November 2015, and clarity about their use and features until May 2017.
Now, bicycles are allowed to feature a 250 watt motor that is activated by pedalling, and reach a maximum speed of 25km/h on roads.
Many also feature front and rear lights, speedometers, suspension, storage, and the ability to recharge a smartphone. They range in price from $1000 to $15,000.
Mr Bourke said the power boost made these bikes attractive to a much wider audience, from people who live in hilly areas to those who don’t want to sweat in their work gear.
“There are so many people who wouldn’t have ridden who are now riding because they’ve got an e-bike,” he said.
“People who don’t normally ride are now able to keep up with their mates. This is why some people call it cheating — it reduces the gap between the level of fitness you have to have. It becomes more fun.”
Copenhagen-based brother and sister team Christian Adel Michael and Julie Kronstrøm Carton are hoping to capture this growing Australian enthusiasm for e-bikes, with a new campaign specifically targeting local riders.
The pair created crowd-funding history two years ago when their two Indiegogo campaigns attracted $US24 million, making them the most popular team in the site’s history.
Mr Adel Michael said the company was now offering its big-wheeled Mate X bike at a preorder discount for Australian buyers until the end of the year, and had chosen the country not for its familiarity with the ‘mate’ name but because so many Aussies supported the company’s early efforts.
“In both our campaigns, Australia has always made it into the top 10 where we sold the most bikes,” he said. “We now sell in more than 80 countries, but Australia has picked up on Mate since the get-go.”
Mr Adel Michael said the company had also seen sales boom this year, as more people looked for alternatives to crowded and potentially risky bus and train rides.
Zoomo co-founder Mina Nada said his Australian outfit, which began renting bikes to food delivery couriers, quickly moved more into the consumer space this year to capitalise on the sudden spike in e-bike demand.
The company, with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, now rents and sells e-bikes to keen riders, and predicts they will replace many e-scooters and cars in the coming years.
“We see that they’re going to go mainstream — there’s going to be more e-bikes out there than cars, is our view, and definitely more than scooters,” he said. “E-bikes are safer, more comfortable, they can go faster.”
WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE TO RIDE AN E-BIKE
The Tour de France can’t be that hard.
When they face a hill, riders should just rev the motor up to level five, switch the gears down to four, and go for a cruise and a chat with their teammates.
This is, of course, based on my experience with the Mate X Bike; a powerful, sturdy motorised bicycle that may not actually be allowed in the world’s premier cycling event.
Its creators tell me the e-bike is for zooming around the city and suburbs, replacing cars with pedal power, and adding a bit more fun to weekend rides.
Oh, and looking cool. The Mate X definitely turns heads.
New riders are encouraged to read the manual before setting out and with good reason: you get this bike going by turning a hidden key and starting its computer.
A phone-sized screen shows the bike’s speed and battery power, as well as what level of assistance is employed.
Level one is a good place to start without a kick, level two is great for cruising the streets, and level five will make the most brutal hills surmountable.
Ultimately, riding this e-bike — and perhaps any e-bike — is as hard to easy as you want to make it. Riders can keep assistance low for a harder workout, or dial up the motor if they don’t want to sweat.
The Mate X features off-road tyres, generous suspension, front and rear built-in lights, turning indicators, an alarming electric bell, and effective front and rear brakes.
But users should make sure they have enough power for entire rides. At 29kg, this is not a bicycle to pilot without help.
And, in 2020, when so many people are looking for new ways to get fit outdoors, keep their distance, and avoid public transport, bikes like the Mate X make more sense than ever (even if they never makes the Tour).