E-bike to outstrip traditional bicycle sales in China

According to a recent report, approximately 20 million e-bikes will be sold in China this year – the same number of sold e-bikes for years 2007 and 2008.

Motor vehicle sales in the country in recent years have risen considerably. An expected 12 million new cars will hit the streets of China by the end of 2009.

Beijing was once branded as the ‘kingdom of bicycles’. There were 40 million bicycles bought in the year 1998, according to the data from the China Bicycle Association. However, only 20 million bicycles have been sold this year.

Bicycles, which are used long before since the communist regime in China, are now struggling to contend with its electric versions. E-bikes are preferred among consumers who want to avoid the frequent traffic jam in the city. They can go through narrow spaces on the capital’s jam-packed streets and can get drivers faster to their destination compared to a traditional bicycle.

However, China’s obesity problem is often linked to the increased dependence on powered vehicles, including the use of e-bikes. Beijing Academy of Social Sciences’ Director of Sports Culture Research, Jin Shan, said that the shift from bicycles to electric motor vehicles is one reason why Chinese people are getting obese.

In the UK, the British Electric Bicycle Association is expecting that the volume of sales this year for e-bikes will reach an all-time high. The organization forecasts to sell 21,000 units this year and 30,000 in 2010. The latest e-bike models are now on display at the Eurobike and Interbike trade shows.