Unusually warm and dry weather conditions have been credited with boosting bicycle sales last year – with a greater proportion of cyclists opting to ease muscle strain with the assistance of e-bikes in Switzerland’s mountainous terrain.
Some 110,000 e-bikes were sold in Switzerland last year – the first time sales have exceeded 100,000 units.
Financial figures for bicycle vendors were even more impressive as Swiss cyclists tended to opt for more expensive electronic models. E-bike sales were therefore 40% higher as total bike revenues reached CHF1.77 billion ($1.76 billion).
The average cost of an e-bike (CHF3,500 or $3,472) weighs in three times higher than conventional bicycles. This makes the e-bike craze a welcome lucrative development for bicycle vendors.
The biggest growth of all was witnessed in the mountain e-bike category, with sales increasing by more than 50% last year. This confirms the trend of riders seeking a little help from electric motors.
The figures may also partly explain why there were more e-bike accidents last year. Some 309 e-bike riders were seriously injured, an increase of 38%, while 12 fatalities were recorded – up from 5 in 2017.
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