The UK is floundering next to many other European nations when it comes to e-bike sales, according to new research that compared sales figures in 30 countries.
Britain was ranked second from lowest, with just 2.1 sales per thousand people in 2024, compared to top-ranked Norway, which boasted 36.2 sales per thousand.
Researchers found a slight positive correlation between GDP and e-bike sales, with richer countries selling more units – in this respect the UK bucked the trend entirely.
There was also a strong suggestion that additional funding – for example via government schemes – boost sales too, and Paul’s Cycles managing director Tom Thornley blamed the UK disappointing figures on “a lack of direct financial support”.
“It’s time the government recognised e-bikes as a serious part of the green transport solution,” he said. “Cost is still a big barrier for many people and we need targeted financial support whether through purchase grants and rebates, VAT reductions or a fairer, more inclusive Cycle to Work scheme.
“E-bikes are a significant investment and UK schemes are not as widely promoted or generously supported as the subsidies you see in other European countries”, Thornley added. “Government grants have made a real difference in other European countries and that kind of incentive could have a huge impact here too.”
Dan Parsons, co-founder of London-based Fully Charged, also said: “I would very much agree that government incentives do help. We’ve seen that in the UK in 2019 and 2021 with the Energy Saving Trust / Department for Transport Cargo Bike Grant Funds – and we’ve seen it work successfully overseas, in France.
“This is another barrier when we have conversations with people – they say ‘oh, no, I don’t want to cheat. I want to exercise‘,” Manning said. “There’s this myth that you’re sitting on a moped. And there’s also the bad image of the Deliveroo ‘terrorist’ riders and the phone snatchers in London.”
