Rosie Burgin

DENKENDORF, Germany - In a strategic acquisition, Pinion owner Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), has acquired the FIT 2.0 business of Biketec GmbH from its owner, the German dealer cooperative, ZEG. The intention is to expand Pinion's portfolio in the core business of e-drives. The financial details of the BRP investment remains undisclosed.

LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg - An investigation into suspected large-scale customs fraud related to the import of e-bikes from China is being led by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. In this latest case where the e-bikes are known to have entered the EU via Poland, the unpaid duties add up to an estimated loss of €1.8 million.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - E-bike brand Cowboy has fully moved its e-bike assembly operations to France. In a strategic nearshoring move, the partnership with Rebirth Group subsidiary ReCycles aims to reduce delivery times, and strengthen customer support as the brand seeks to meet demand for its e-bikes across Europe.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - That 2024 was a challenging year for European e-bike markets is no secret. How bad though, is now revealed in the latest EU e-bike import statistics published by Eurostat. The volume of e-bikes imports dropped 27% year-on-year to 642,000 units, slipping below the pre-covid level of 705,000 units in 2019. The import value fared even worse, with a 33% drop year-on-year.

WASHINGTON, US - As the world awaits a year of tariffs and tussles, there was good news for the bicycle market in the US in 2024. The number of non- electric bicycles imported into the country rose again following sharp declines since 2021, the latest US customs data shows. However, with China as the leading supplier, the market remains uncertain.

LONDON, UK - The UK Government has accepted the recommendation to revoke anti-dumping and countervailing measures on imports of Chinese non-folding e-bikes to the UK. The measure which came into force from 7 February 2025 will open the market to cheaper e-bikes.

EMSTEK, Germany - Pon-owned brand Kalkhoff is transitioning to low-temperature powder coatings in the painting process at its bicycle factory in Germany. This reduction in temperature brings significant benefits in terms of energy consumption and reduces CO2 emissions.

ZEIST, The Netherlands - "Data is the missing piece of the narrative, and there is a basic need for standardisation in the bicycle industry," declared speaker Bartek Czerwinski during the Cycling Industries Europe (CIE) hosted webinar on Digital Solutions for the Cycling Industry. Here, newcomers in the industry explained their ideas for creating a level playing field to bring the bike industry up to a digital level in line with its automotive counterpart.

MADRID, Spain - Following a dip in 2023 after two very successful years, bicycle production in Spain rebounded in 2024 with a 2.9% year-on-year increase in volume. Despite the value of the output dipping slightly, the Spanish industry is proving to remain robust compared to pre-pandemic levels.

ANNECY, France - After 10 years of research and development and a €19 million investment, active mobility developer, Cixi has announced that its Pers chainless technology is ready to hit the market. The first four bicycles featuring PERS technology will be available for purchase at this year's Eurobike.