When asked about possible reasons for buying or renting an e-bike, the main reasons cited in a 12-month comparison were the rising cost of living (45% environmental awareness and the health benefits (39%). Among those who cite the rising cost of living and environmental awareness, women make up a larger proportion (48 percent and 43 percent respectively, compared to 42 percent and 36 percent for men).

With regard to infrastructural improvements for cyclists in the local area in the last year, the distribution is even (44% agree and 44% disagree). However, there are geographical differences, with 56% agreeing in the Geneva region and 56% disagreeing in Eastern Switzerland.

Economic reasons such as the cost of living (47 percent) and e-bike subsidies (41 percent) are more likely to be selected than COVID-19 (18 percent) when it comes to decisive reasons for the increased use of e-bikes. This is in contrast to last year, when 39% of respondents across Europe said they would consider buying or using an e-bike to avoid public transport because of Covid-19. Environmental awareness is an important motivator for 33 percent of Europeans in the countries surveyed.

Among those who cited environmental concerns as a factor, the percentage was higher across Europe among 18 to 24-year-olds (37 percent) and higher among women (36 percent compared to 30 percent among men). The percentage was also significantly higher in Italy (51 percent) and Spain (46 percent), which may be linked to recent weather events related to climate change in both countries (1).

Shimano asked "Who are e-bikes generally for?" to understand the perceptions around the use of e-bikes. In this regard, there is a strong correlation across Switzerland with both: environmental awareness (58 percent, compared to an average of 52 percent in Europe) and commuting to work (57 percent compared to an average of 48 percent in Europe). And again, women are more likely to respond with reference to people who are environmentally conscious than men (64 percent compared to 51 percent).

The study also revealed that people in Switzerland - in contrast to the average in Europe - take their bikes in for servicing: 29 percent say they plan to do so in the next six months and 52 percent of them say that it is important to keep the bike in good condition and so that it lasts longer.

Jonathan Davis, PR & Communications Manager, Shimano Europe: "We are delighted to publish our fourth State of the Nation report. Based on a survey of over 15,500 people across Europe, it aims to explore what motivates e-bike riders to better understand attitudes towards e-bikes and cycling in general. These results are fascinating and allow us to identify important market trends. People who interact with an e-bike find more attention and are even perceived more positively. We hope this report will be useful to the cycling industry in general and beyond, and continue to play a role in developing the e-bike sector."

(1) Data and report: Unless otherwise stated, all figures are from YouGov Plc. The sample comprises a total of 15,792 adults from the UK, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland and Switzerland. The survey took place from August 17 to 25, 2022. The survey was conducted online. The figures were weighted per country in order to obtain an "average value".