BERLIN - Bikes are increasingly muscling aside cars on Europe's city streets, as the coronavirus accelerates a shift towards pedal power.
Governments are fuelling the trend, offering buying incentives ranging from 100 euros to as much as 1,500 euros for heavy business users of e-bikes. "Corona is a phenomenal push in that direction." The unit's revenue is set to triple to more than 100 million euros in 2020 compared with two years ago, and the bike maker expects sales to jump to about 500 million euros by 2025, putting it at the heels of industry heavyweights like Dutch manufacturer Accell Group, Specialised Bicycle Components of the US, and Taiwan's Giant Manufacturing Co and Merida Industry Co.
"Corona only contributes to the decision, but is not really the cause," said Mr Onno Huyghe, managing director at Swapfiets.During the shutdown, people across Germany spent twice as much time riding their bikes as before, according to Ms Stephanie Krone, a traffic expert at German cycling association ADFC.
Ms Puello estimates that one in four electric bikes, which typically cost more than 2,000 euros, was leased last year. The lockdown prompted authorities in 32 of the European Union's biggest cities to bring forward planned improvements, according to the European Cyclists' Federation.Many of the plans come at the expense of car traffic.
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