25 years since debut, electric bicycles enjoying brisk demand

January 31, 2018

Tokyo- Electric bicycles, or bicycles with a motor attached to assist with pedaling, are enjoying brisk demand as they mark the 25th anniversary this year since the first model was released in 1993.

According to the industry ministry' data, sales of electric bicycles in Japan in 2016 grew 15.3 percent from the previous year to 539,529 units, breaking the threshold of 500,000 units for the first time. In 2017, sales may reach 600,000 units.

The market is growing as the customer base expands from the elderly to younger child-rearing generations and with the arrival of electric sports bicycles. Electric bicycles now account for about 10 percent of all bicycle sales in Japan, excluding bicycles for toddlers and unicycles.

Since the world's first model was released by Yamaha Motor Co., electric bicycles have shown a great deal of evolution, including in price and battery strength.

Customers now can easily find models priced at less than 100,000 yen, while early models used to be typically sold for around 150,000 yen.

Many early models were powered by lead storage batteries. Battery capacity has increased significantly since nickel-metal hydride batteries came into use, followed by lithium-ion batteries.

Models have become lighter, and a wider variety of designs are available.

The Japanese market, over 90 percent of which is jointly controlled by Panasonic Corp. , Yamaha Motor and Bridgestone Corp. , will face competition this year from new entrants Shimano Inc. and Germany's Bosch.

Shimano makes assist systems that are mounted in bicycles sold in Europe and elsewhere.

Bicycle seller Miyata Cycle Co., based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, plans to launch a sports bicycle with a Shimano system in February. Bosch's systems will also be mounted in models of other makers.

Expressing hope that electric models will attract more men and couples who go cycling together, Mitsuyoshi Sunakawa, a Yamaha Motor official, said the market could grow to one million units a year with attractive products. Jiji Press