2021 European Electric Scooter & Electric Bicycle Market Review

2021 was a year of records, resilience, and restructuring for the European micromobility industry. As the continent continued to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, electric two-wheelers emerged as a clear winner. Electric bicycle sales surpassed 5 million units for the first time in history, investment in shared micromobility startups reached record levels, and governments doubled down on green mobility policies. Yet supply chain disruptions and shifting competitive dynamics also defined this transformative year.

*This series of three blog posts, based on industry reports and market data published in 2021-2022, aims to fill the historical gap for the KUKIRIN brand blog, documenting the year when micromobility became a mainstream transportation choice across Europe.

Record-Breaking Sales – E-Bikes Surpass 5 Million Units

When the final numbers for 2021 were tallied, the European cycling industry had achieved something unprecedented. According to data released by CONEBI (Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry), electric bike sales across Europe topped 5 million units for the first time, helping drive overall bicycle unit sales past 22 million .

The Numbers That Made History

The scale of the 2021 market was remarkable by any measure. Total bicycle and e-bike sales across Europe reached a market value of €19.7 billion, representing a 7.5% increase year-over-year -3. Local production of bicycle components and accessories alone tallied €3.6 billion, up €0.6 billion from 2020, as European manufacturers ramped up capacity to meet surging demand .

This growth had a tangible impact on employment. Direct manufacturing jobs in the cycling industry reached 87,000 in 2021, up from 77,500 the previous year. When including both direct and indirect employment, CONEBI estimated that 170,000 European jobs were tied to the cycling industry .

Source: CONEBI

Investment into the industry surpassed €1.75 billion, about 17% ahead of 2020 levels. The number of SME manufacturers in Europe grew by an estimated 5-10% during the year, reflecting both the health of the market and the trend toward local production .

Country-by-Country: A Mixed Picture of Growth and Constraints

While the aggregate numbers were impressive, the story varied significantly across Europe's major markets. Supply chain constraints-particularly shortages of components and shipping delays-meant that demand often exceeded available inventory .

France: E-Bike Market Share Hits 25%

France delivered one of the strongest performances of any European market in 2021. According to figures released by the French Bicycle Observatory, total bicycle market volume increased by 3.9% to 2,789,545 units, representing a sales value of €2.215 billion-an increase of 15.1% .

E-bikes were the primary driver of this growth. A record 659,337 e-bikes were purchased in France during 2021, a 28% increase over the previous year. E-bikes now represented 24% of total bicycle market volume-approaching one in every four bikes sold-and an even more impressive 59% of total bicycle market value, with e-bike turnover reaching €1.313 billion .

Urban e-bikes (270,000 units, +34%) and e-trekking bikes (176,000 units, +65%) led the growth, reflecting the shift toward practical, everyday electric mobility .

Spain: Building on 2020's Momentum

Spain's e-bike market continued its upward trajectory, with sales volume increasing by 5.3% in 2021 to approximately 223,561 units. This came on top of a record-breaking 2020, demonstrating that the pandemic-driven surge was not a one-off phenomenon.

The average retail price in Spain hiked by 14.9% from €865 in 2019 to €984 in 2021, driven primarily by the increasing share of e-bikes in the overall mix. The combined bicycle and e-bike market now represented a total value of €1.55 billion.

Italy: Stabilizing After the "Bike Bonus"

Italy's market told a different story. Following record bicycle and e-bike sales in 2020-when over 2 million units were sold, boosted by the government's "Bike Bonus" incentive-the market stabilized in 2021. A total of 1,975,000 bicycles and e-bikes were sold, representing a 2% decline compared to the previous year .

Notably, e-bikes continued to grow, albeit more moderately. With 295,000 units sold, e-bike sales increased 5% over 2020-and this was achieved in the absence of purchase incentives.

"The 2021 sales result is very positive as it was achieved in the absence of any purchase incentives, which had contributed to the considerable dynamism of post-lockdown demand in 2020," commented Paolo Magri, president of ANCMA, the Italian cycling industry association .

Italy's local production remained strong, with more than 3.2 million bicycles produced in the country. The e-bike segment stood out, growing by 25% year-over-year, while conventional bicycle production totaled 2.9 million units, up 5% .

Germany: The Silent Giant

While precise 2021 figures for Germany were not highlighted in the CONEBI data, the country's position as Europe's largest e-bike market remained undisputed. According to the Europe Electric Two-Wheeler Market Report 2021-2026, Germany was projected to grow at a CAGR of 13.87% through 2026, making it one of the key countries for electric mobility in Europe .

Sources: French Bicycle Observatory, AMBE Spain, ANCMA Italy

Supply Chain: The Achilles' Heel

Despite surging demand, 2021 was marked by significant supply chain disruptions that limited potential gains. Manufacturers were unable to deliver all ordered bikes due to missing components, particularly semiconductors and batteries .

In Switzerland, the impact was particularly visible. After total bicycle sales skyrocketed 38% in 2020, poor availability brought the market down to earth in 2021, with sales falling 1.6% to 493,826 units. While e-bike sales grew 9.4% to 187,302 units, this was significantly less than the previous year's growth rate. Notably, supermarket chains-which had better access to inventory-increased their e-bike sales by 58.6%, while independent bike dealers managed only 1.3% growth .

The supply chain challenges had a silver lining: they accelerated the trend toward local production. As Erhard Büchel, President of CONEBI, noted, "Reshoring is taking place, and the well-known supply chain disruptions are triggering a new wave of industrialization in Europe. More local production-starting from the manufacturing of cycle parts-and proximity to the consumer are an essential part of the transition" .

Looking Ahead: 30 Million by 2030

The record-breaking performance of 2021 was not viewed as an anomaly but as a waypoint on a longer growth trajectory. CONEBI projected that total bicycle and e-bike sales could reach 30 million units by 2030, driven by continued electrification, infrastructure investment, and supportive government policies .

For manufacturers like KUKIRIN, the message was clear: the European market was no longer a niche opportunity but a mainstream transportation market with enormous growth potential-provided supply chains could keep pace.