The E-BIKE: Own and Share

Before the pandemic hit, e-bikes were already starting to go from niche to mainstream. The pandemic has accelerated the expansion of e-bikes. In the past few years, electric bicycles have become popular in some European countries, with an annual growth rate of 30-40%, and the sales of electric bicycles in the United States have increased by 145%. Most e-bikes are sold through B2C marketplaces, or in other words, these bikes are owned by individuals. At the same time, the market for shared e-bikes is also expanding.

It's become an unwritten rule that big cities need to have good bike-sharing programs in place. Over the years, docked bikes, hybrid bikes, and dockless bikes have proven that bike sharing can work. Some cities have experimented with it, and it works well. Whether it's usage, willingness to pay, or satisfaction, the numbers are good. Because of the ease of use, new users are willing to accept shared bikes.

The more successful bike-sharing company in the United States is Jump, which was later acquired by Uber and then sold to Lime. Jump was successful in the early days, and so were other bike-sharing companies, and they set the example. Today, more and more shared micro-mobility operators are interested in deploying e-bikes.

Alexander Gmelin, CPO of INVERS believes: "The pandemic may accelerate the world's acceptance of e-bikes and micro-mobility models. In the next few years, many cities will shift towards electrification. Electric bikes, mopeds and scooters. will play an important role in this. Micromobility solutions meet all the requirements of today's urban transportation, solving the first and last mile travel problems."

Speaking of electric bicycles specifically, Alex believes: "It is a safe and sustainable mobility option, easy to use, can be deployed in a large area, allows users to go farther in a shorter time, and will not be restricted by terrain. If the new Customers who want to provide e-bike services, we think there is a good chance of success; as for existing customers, if they want to expand shared mobility services to include a variety of micro-mobility solutions, such as including e-bikes, we are also very interested.”