Nowhere else in Europe were more e-bikes sold to retailers than in neighboring Austria. There, their market share in 2024 was 57%, an increase of 5% compared to the previous year. In comparison, this share is 53% in Germany and only 45% in Switzerland. Such figures are a relief for the crisis-ridden bicycle industry, although they cannot hide the fact that the total sales volume of bicycles also fell by 6.1% in Austria in 2024.

The current figures, which were published by the Austrian Association of Sporting Goods Manufacturers and Sports Retailers (VSSÖ) on Friday, are so-called sell-in figures, i.e. what manufacturers have sold to retailers. Conclusions on the actual sales figures of dealers to end customers can only be drawn to a limited extent, but they confirm the trend that the data on the bicycle market in Germany and Switzerland has already shown. The industry is also sitting on full stocks in Austria and is therefore facing major challenges. In 2024, manufacturers sold a total of 395,426 bicycles to specialist retailers. This corresponds to the aforementioned decline of 6.1 percent compared to 2023. The peak was reached in 2022, when 506,159 bikes were sold to retailers. According to the VSSÖ, the market has been returning to a normal level since 2023. It remains to be seen how long this phase will last.

State subsidies as an incentive to buy 

The fact that the number of e-bikes has nevertheless risen is mainly due to the fact that the Austrian government has created various incentive programs to encourage the purchase of pedelecs, which have been well received. For example, the so-called company bike models, which offer tax incentives and thus encourage customers to buy high-quality e-bike models. There were also monetary incentives as part of the e-mobility campaign, which led to a noticeable increase in sales, especially in the area of e-cargo bikes and e-folding bikes. In 2024, 13,300 electric bikes were subsidized through this programme alone.

Aside from the subsidized segments, niches such as gravel (+12.7%) and road bikes (+20.8%) ensured growth in sales to sports retailers in 2024. This is evidence of the continuing trend in both disciplines. In the case of gravel bikes and road bikes, around 30% of the models sold to retailers were also equipped with an electric motor. This means that the e-bike is also gaining ground here.

Austria as a billion-dollar market

All in all, VSSÖ and ARGE Fahrrad report a relatively stable market in Austria despite the crisis. Around 1.05 billion euros were generated from bicycle sales in sports and specialist retail in 2024. This was the fourth time in a row that turnover exceeded the billion euro mark. Compared to 2023, there was a significant drop in turnover of 11.1 percent. However, it is assumed that turnover in the sector will level off at around 1 billion euros in the long term. And here too, the e-bike has become an indispensable sales driver, with pedelecs accounting for 77% of the industry's total turnover in 2024.

A closer look at the individual bicycle categories reveals some surprises. Among e-bikes, STVO-compliant trekking bikes account for the largest share with 85,500 units. E-fullys follow in second place with 54,606 units and e-hardtails in third place with 31,954 units. For non-electric bikes, children's and youth bikes lead the way with 58,506 units, followed by MTB hardtails with 47,398 units. Compared to 2023, this ranking has only changed slightly.

Industry calls for continuation of funding programs

ARGE Bicycle spokesperson Hans-Jürgen Schoder is cautiously optimistic in light of these figures: "We predicted the decline due to the challenging economic conditions, which naturally have a negative impact on consumers' propensity to buy. But it is significantly lower than expected, especially in the e-bike segment, where we are seeing strong growth in some areas, which makes us very confident." 

At the same time, however, it is clear that the government funding programs, which expired in 2024, played a significant role in ensuring that the decline was not as bad as expected. VSSÖ Managing Director Michael Nendwich is therefore calling on politicians to continue these measures: "Strong demand and added value in the domestic sports and bicycle retail sector on the one hand. On the other hand, there has been a strong increase in sustainable electromobility among commuters, transportation and many other ways of using an e-bike for years. This is a tandem that absolutely must remain on the road to success."