| Reader situation | Figure | Year and basis | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sizing a European national market | About 2 million e-bikes sold in Germany | 2025, German industry association ZIV as reported in a market report | Use as a national benchmark, not as a European Union total. |
| Judging e-bike share of bike sales | 52.7% of all bicycles and e-bikes sold in Germany | 2025 | Shows that in a mature market e-bikes can make up most of the sales mix. |
| Spotting policy-driven spikes | More than 12.5 million e-bikes sold in China through a trade-in programme | 2025, nine times the 2024 level | Treat as a programme effect, not a typical year. |
| Sizing the global market | USD 54.7 billion | 2025, market revenue rather than unit sales | Use for money flows only; do not turn it into a bike count. |
| Reading forecasts | 8.5% compound annual growth, reaching USD 134.2 billion | Forecast of market value, 2026 to 2036 | Treat as a planning scenario, not a record of past growth. |
| Understanding trip types | Urban riding 54.3%; trekking about 18.6%; cargo utility about 16.2% | Estimated usage split, 2026 | Shows that city use is the main case to plan around. |
| Estimating car-trip substitution | Average of 9.3 miles per trip; 1,778 motor vehicle miles replaced | Portland State University study, as summarised by PeopleForBikes | Gives a sense of trip length when e-bikes replace motor vehicle trips. |
Figures come from the market report published by Future Market Insights, which cites ZIV and Xinhua, and from the PeopleForBikes electric bike statistics page.
These electric bike sales statistics show that e-bikes are a large and growing part of cycling, but each figure counts something different. Check the year, region and definition before comparing any two numbers.
If your real question is whether the numbers translate into climate benefit, start with the hub guide on are electric bikes environmentally friendly. The sections below are grouped by what you are trying to do with the statistics.
If you need annual sales by country
No single worldwide unit count appears in the evidence, so the practical way to answer how many e-bikes are sold each year is to read national figures one at a time and note what each one measures.
Germany: sales and share
The German bicycle industry association ZIV reported about 2 million e-bikes sold in Germany in 2025, according to the Future Market Insights electric bike report. The same report gives e-bikes a 52.7% share of all bicycles and e-bikes sold in Germany that year.
Because the share is calculated against all bicycles and e-bikes together, it describes the sales mix in one country for a single year. It is a useful benchmark for a mature European market. It is not an average for the European Union.
China: a programme-driven year
More than 12.5 million e-bikes were sold in China through a trade-in programme in 2025, reported by Xinhua and relayed in the same market report. That is nine times the 2024 level.
This figure is far larger than Germany’s, which is why China leads on raw volume in these numbers. The jump is tied to a specific incentive scheme, however, so it says more about policy than about steady underlying demand. Use it to show scale, and avoid projecting it forward as a normal annual run rate.
Global market value
The global electric bike market is estimated at USD 54.7 billion in 2025. That is a revenue measure, so it reflects prices and product mix as well as volume, and it cannot be matched against the unit counts above.
If you are comparing Europe with the United States
A fair comparison of adoption in Europe and the United States starts with definitions, because the two regions group e-bikes differently.
How each region defines an e-bike
European rules treat a bike that assists only as the rider pedals as a bicycle, with no licence or insurance requirement, as described in the same market report. In the United States, Class 3 e-bikes are pedal-assist models with a maximum assist speed of 28 mph.
The US system is therefore split into classes, while the European treatment described above focuses on whether assistance stops when pedalling stops. A statistic that counts every motor-assisted bike will not match one that counts only a single class or legal category.
Who is described as leading in Europe
Accell Group describes itself as the European e-bike market leader. That is a company’s own description, and no share figure accompanies it, so it should not be read as a measured market share.
Decision guide for cross-region comparisons
- Compare shares with shares. The German 52.7% figure is a share of all bicycle and e-bike sales, so set it only against another share calculated on the same basis.
- Compare units with units. The German unit figure and the Chinese trade-in figure count sales; the global USD figure counts revenue.
- Keep the year attached. Every figure in this guide is tied to a stated year, and a number from a different year is not a like-for-like update.
- Check the legal category. Pedal-assist-only bikes and faster Class 3 models can fall under different rules, which changes what is counted as an e-bike.
If you are reading growth forecasts
The growth numbers available here are forecasts of market value, which answers how fast the market is expanding but not how fast e-bike share of bike sales is rising.
Market value outlook
Demand for electric bikes is projected to grow at an 8.5% compound annual rate and reach USD 134.2 billion by 2036, according to Future Market Insights, with the forecast period running from 2026 to 2036. A compound annual rate smooths out year-to-year swings, so it can sit comfortably alongside a spike like China’s trade-in year.
Share of bike sales over time
The Germany share of 52.7% of all bicycles and e-bikes sold is a single-year reading for 2025. A growth rate for e-bike share needs the same share measured in several years, so avoid inferring a trend from one data point. When you cite share, cite its year.
If you want to know who rides and why
Usage figures describe where e-bikes are ridden and by whom, and they come from estimates, a university study and a survey rather than from sales counts.
Trip types
Urban riding is projected to hold an estimated 54.3% of usage in 2026, with trekking at about 18.6% and cargo utility at about 16.2%, according to the market report. These are estimates for 2026, so read them as the expected shape of use, not as survey results from riders. For anyone planning a purchase, the message is that city riding is the central case.
Car trips replaced
A Portland State University study, summarised by PeopleForBikes, found that e-bike rides replaced 1,778 motor vehicle miles, an average of 9.3 miles per trip. That is a study result rather than a national measure, but it gives a realistic sense of trip length. If you are weighing whether your own journey fits, our guide to ebike commute distance covers the range side of that question.
Older riders and riders with physical challenges
In a 2015 League of American Bicyclists survey, more than 80% of respondents agreed or somewhat agreed that e-bikes suit older riders and people with physical challenges, as summarised by PeopleForBikes. The survey is dated, so it shows opinion at that time rather than current ownership rates. It does point to who many people expect to benefit, which links naturally to the health benefits of electric bikes.
Frequently asked questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much of e-bike sales is pedal assist? | Pedal assist is expected to account for 80% of propulsion type sales in 2026, according to the market report. That is an estimate for 2026, not a count of bikes sold. |
| Does Accell Group’s leadership claim give a market share? | No. Accell Group describes itself as the European e-bike market leader, but no share figure is given, so the claim is a self-description rather than a measured ranking. |
| What should I check before comparing two e-bike statistics? | Confirm the year, the region, whether the figure counts units or revenue, and which e-bikes the source includes. A share of all bicycle sales and a revenue estimate answer different questions. |
