The disconnect

The electric consensus is there, but not for the motorcycle brands. Too little too late.

Transport will be electric, and we are at the point of no return. We knew that when starting Neematic and always felt that change is not to come from the leading motorcycle players. But since the the gap has grown even bigger. Here’s just a set of of facts and figures — how automotive, bicycle and motorcycle industries are embracing the e-drive.

Automotive

• More than 700k electric/hybrid cars registered in 2016 (McKinsey)
• Global Electric Car Sales Jump 63 Percent (Bloomberg)
• UBS — 16% of cars sold worldwide in 2025 will be EVs (UBS)
• At a global scale, 40% of those planning to buy a car within the next five years say they are likely to buy all-electric (Dalia reserch).
• In just 8 years, electric cars will be as cheap as gasoline vehicles, pushing the global fleet to 530 million vehicles by 2040 (Bloomberg Energy Finance)
• Daimler: pours $1 billion into electric car production in the U.S
• Volkswagen: promise to spend up to 70 billion euros in order to bring 300 electric vehicle models to market by 2030
• Volvo: All New Volvo Models Will Be Electric Or Hybrid Starting In 2019
• LG Chem: investing $387 million into largest battery factory in Europe
• Norway plans banning ICE sales by 2025. UK, France, India and other countries are discussing 2030/40.

Bicycle

• 1.6 million e-bikes have been sold in Europe and 152,000 in the US (2016, Conebi, Rootsrated). 200 million — E-bikes currently in use on Chinese roadways (Forbes)
• ALL major brands have introduced electric drive, hundreds of models in retail, 300+ brands in the market (EBR)
• Electric bicycle sales in Europe have grown 22% (2016), 20% (2015), 26% (2014) annually. In 2016 Sweden (34%) and France (30%) grew fastest (CONEBI)
• $24.3 billion — Global estimated market value for electric bike sales by 2025 (Navigant Research)

Motorcycle

• Established brands that have electric motorcycle offering: one, KTM Freeride E-XC
• Electric motorcycle registrations in Europe and USA (2016) — around 6000 (Statista, ACEM)
• Leading brands in electric motorcycle sales: Zero Motorcycles, KTM, Alta Motors, Energica, Tacita.
• New electric motorcycles introduced in EICMA 2017 by the traditional players: one, Gas Gas Trial TXTe EDD.

The play-field is open, and it will not be the same.