How did the 2025 cycling year go from the industry’s perspective? Mixed, as a look at last year’s figures shows, which the German Bicycle Industry Association (ZIV) has now presented together with the Service and Bicycle Association (VSF) and Zukunft Fahrrad. Domestic production picked up, for example, while sales and turnover were weaker than in 2024. The challenges of 2025 were felt, but the bicycle industry remained strong and resilient. You can find out exactly what this means here in this overview.
1. What factors determined sales in 2025?
2. How many ebikes were sold in Germany in 2025?
3. How much money is spent on an ebike?
4. What are the most popular types of ebikes?
5. Where do people in Germany buy their ebikes?
6. How many bicycles are there in Germany?
7. How many ebikes were manufactured in Germany in 2025?
8. How many ebikes were exported from Germany in 2025?
9. How many ebikes were imported into Germany in 2025?
10. Forecast for 2026
1. What factors determined sales in 2025?
The mood among bicycle manufacturers, parts producers and retailers was rather gloomy last year. The Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI) calculated by Eurobike, the trade journal Bike Europe and the market research institute IFH Koeln was significantly below the critical 100-point mark at 98.8 points in autumn 2025. One reason for this was, for example, declining order numbers. In addition, warehouses in many places were still too well stocked due to the aftermath of the Corona crisis. In order to create some breathing space, tough negotiations were held in some cases. This resulted, for example, in declining margins for all parties involved.
At the same time, the Institute for Employment Research in Nuremberg reported that Germany’s gross domestic product had risen by only 0.2 per cent. Private consumption expenditure rose by only 1.4 per cent. When people also face job insecurity, many prefer to hold on to their money.
2. How many ebikes were sold in Germany in 2025?
People bought almost exactly two million ebikes in Germany in 2025. Compared to 2024, this represents a slight decline of 4.8 per cent. At that time, the figure was 2.1 million.
Burkhard Stork, managing director of the German Bicycle Industry Association (ZIV), views the figure positively. He considers the slightly lower total to be acceptable and not indicative of a ‘mega crisis’. ‘Our sales are stable,’ Stork emphasised at the press conference in Berlin. ‘The bicycle industry is proving to be much more resilient than other industries.’
In fact, this figure has remained at a constant level since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. It fluctuates between 2.2 million and two million ebikes sold. The ratio to bicycles sold without electric assistance also remains unchanged. For 2025, it was again 53 per cent for ebikes and 47 per cent for conventional bicycles.
The ZIV expects that, in the long term, the proportions will shift significantly in favour of ebikes. However, the pendulum is not yet swinging too far in this direction. The reason for this is relatively strong sales of bicycles. According to their own statement, this has even surprised the industry association a little. As confirmed by the VSF, gravel bikes, road bikes and cyclocross bikes in particular have given this part of the business a noticeable boost.
3. How much money is spent on an ebike?
An ebike purchased in Germany cost an average of 2,550 euros in 2025. This represents a decrease of 3.8 per cent and exactly 100 euros less than in 2024. According to the ZIV, numerous discount campaigns were the main factor driving down prices. Companies used these campaigns to try to clear older models from their warehouses. In addition, given the tense economic situation and numerous geopolitical crises, people in this country are saving more than in other times.
The balance sheet for regular bicycles looks more encouraging. The average price for these remained surprisingly stable. More expensive road and gravel bikes kept the total at 500 euros, which is the same as last year.
4. What are the most popular types of ebikes?
People in Germany still prefer to buy e-mountain bikes. More than one in three ebikes sold fall into this category. The ZIV does not investigate the reasons for this popularity in its analysis. One factor could be the consistency with which manufacturers such as Bosch are driving forward the development of their motors suitable for this purpose. Perhaps the emergence of powerful new drive systems such as the DJI Avinox, together with the launch of corresponding new bikes from Amflow, Crussis, Atherton and others, has also had an influence.
The trekking ebike, city ebike and cargo ebike follow in second to fourth place among the best-selling ebikes, which are firmly rooted in people’s everyday lives and leisure activities. Some may find it somewhat unexpected that the triumph of road ebikes and gravel ebikes is not yet apparent. Both were considered candidates to secure larger market shares in the coming years. In 2025, they remained clearly niche products, with a share of 1.5 per cent for e-gravel bikes and 0.5 per cent for e-road bikes.
Cargo ebikes, on the other hand, seem to have secured their place in the long term. Sales figures have remained robust over the past three years, at around 185,000 units. It appears that the respective concepts, with their focus on transporting cargo or people, are actually catching on.
5. Where do people in Germany buy their ebikes?
Germans most often buy ebikes in traditional brick-and-mortar bicycle shops. In 2025, almost exactly two out of three ebikes found their owners this way. Everything indicates that thorough testing of the ebike and competent advice on site are two arguments that motivate interested parties to make this decision. In the previous year, 2024, the share was even higher at exactly 70 percent.
Far behind, but still in an unchallenged second place, are online sales by specialist retailers. These grew from 20 per cent to 23.8 per cent. One reason for the increase is that more and more brick-and-mortar shops are expanding their business on the internet. This trend is likely to continue in the coming years.
Supermarkets, DIY stores and other retail companies also offer ebikes. However, their combined share of sales is declining. Online business in particular is on the decline.
6. How many bicycles are there in Germany?
The ZIV estimates the number of ebikes in Germany in 2025 to be around 17.2 million. That is around 1.5 million more than in 2024. Since more than two million ebikes were sold during the same period, around half a million must have been discarded. However, this cannot be said with absolute certainty. After all, the ZIV’s figures are based on projections. There is currently no statistically more reliable survey of these statistics.
Ebikes and regular bikes together add up to 90.6 million in Germany. At least, that’s the number for 2025. However, with around 83.5 million people in this country, this doesn’t mean that everyone owns at least one bike. Instead, many people don’t have any, while others have several. The ZIV sees the trend among cyclists towards owning a second and third bike as continuing unabated, according to its own statement.
7. How many ebikes were manufactured in Germany in 2025?
Local production of ebikes and regular bikes also took a hit in 2025. In the end, around 1.3 million ebikes were sold – about three percent less than in 2024. As the number of bicycles manufactured in Germany remained virtually unchanged, the decline was manageable. Production thus reached a level roughly equivalent to that of 2018 and 2019, i.e. before the boom times of the coronavirus pandemic.
The situation is different for German companies’ production facilities abroad. They were noticeably less utilised. Instead of 480,000 units in 2024, only 280,000 were produced in 2025. This represents a sharp decline of 42 per cent. If the totals for German companies in Germany and abroad are added together, the decline is put into perspective at nine per cent, or 2.22 million ebikes and bicycles.
8. How many ebikes were exported from Germany in 2025?
With around 650,000 units, more ebikes were exported from Germany than ever before in 2025. The previous record of 610,000 ebikes was last achieved in 2023. Compared to 2024, this all-time high represents an increase of twelve per cent.
Around 85 per cent of ebikes are sold within the countries of the European Union. By far the largest share of these, at 23 per cent, goes to the Netherlands. France follows in second place with twelve per cent, and Austria in third place with eleven per cent.
9. How many ebikes were imported into Germany in 2025?
For the third year in a row, the number of ebikes imported into Germany is declining. From 860,000 units in 2024, the figure fell to 780,000 in 2025. That is a decrease of 9.4 per cent. If you look at 2023, the current trend becomes even more apparent. At that time, Germany imported almost twice as many ebikes, at around 1.22 million. The ZIV considers lower demand as one reason for this development.
As with exports, the EU is also Germany’s most important trading partner in terms of imports. Almost three quarters of ebikes come from there. Looking at the countries alone, Czechia is the most important country of origin with a share of 18 per cent. The Netherlands and Vietnam each account for 12 per cent of imports.
10. Forecast for 2026
According to estimates by ZIV, VSF and Zukunft Fahrrad, the local bicycle industry has stabilised at a high level. Based on this foundation, the market could continue to develop innovatively and dynamically in the future. The focus should be on attracting new target groups. Women and children are of particular interest. The industry hopes that politicians will support the creation of the necessary framework conditions with greater safety in everyday cycling and equal treatment in the promotion of means of transport.
Pictures: ZIV Zweirad-Industrie-Verband