What was the situation ten years ago? In 2006, 300,000 new bikes were sold in Switzerland, 3,000 of which - just 1 percent - were e-bikes. And today? In 2015, 323,000 new bikes were sold, of which more than 66,332 - or 20.5 percent - were e-bikes. In other words, one in five bikes sold in Switzerland today is an e-bike.

Mountain bikes: sales figures are declining
According to statistics from the Association of Swiss Bicycle Suppliers "velosuisse", 112,244 mountain bikes (all MTBs with 26-inch, 27.5-inch and 29-inch wheels in total) were sold last year, which is 4,836 fewer than in 2014. This decline certainly seems to fit in with the e-mountain bike boom - these 112,244 mountain bikes rolled to the buyer without a motor. The same market movement was already apparent a few years ago: the increase in e-city and e-trekking bike sales came at the expense of sales of non-motorized city and trekking bikes.

Steep uphill: the e-mountain bike
Rather than a decline, there was a sharp increase of 43.7% compared to the previous year in so-called electric bikes without equipment in 2015. A total of 19,687 of these e-bikes without equipment were sold in 2015. With the tailwind of motorized off-road bikes, the mountain bike sector was nevertheless able to generate growth of 0.9% overall compared to the previous year.

And what exactly does it look like?
In the statistics, these electric bikes without equipment are broken down again in more detail - separated into 25km/h and 45km/h. As e-mountainbikes with 45 km/h support have no place on trails, the 45 km/h bikes recorded must be subtracted for the exact e-mountainbike category.

This means that 10,277 new 25cc electric bikes without equipment in wheel sizes 26, 27.5 and 29 inches rolled out to buyers in 2015. In 2015, there were still 4827 units, the growth of 129% is high and there is also statistical justification to speak of a boom in e-mountainbikes.

However, these figures should be treated with caution: With the recorded category of e-mountainbikes without suspension at 25km/h and wheel sizes of 26, 27.5 and 29 inches, it stands to reason that these are e-mountainbikes. However, the boundaries between, for example, a 29er e-hardtail and a trekking bike with a motor are fluid - and the boom is therefore not quite as high in terms of numbers or actually taking place on the trail.

The e-bike is riding in the fast lane
Overall, e-bike sales in Switzerland are also continuing unabated on the road to success. 66,332 new e-bikes were sold in Switzerland in 2015, an increase of 15.1 percent compared to the previous year.