A lively start to 2014 for motorcycles in France

The International Automobile and Motorcycle Union Chamber (CSIAM) brought together the main players in motorized 2 and 3-wheelers to comment on the start of 2014, marked by a market recovery of + 10.1%… and by an advertising campaign !

Resumption … but still no power

Quickly mentioned during this meeting, the market is not expected to take off again this year, despite the sector … "The volumes are so low and the prices astronomical for commuters"concedes BMW Motorrad Himself director Marcel Driessen.

Unlike cars, electric motorcycles do not benefit from any tax boost: compared to the 6,300 euros granted by the State for the purchase of an i3 or a Zoe for example, the aid of certain cities which painfully reach 400 euros are a little flick…

"I came to this conference in C Evolution", tells us Herr Driessen,"and it’s crazy how it captures people’s attention". But at 15,400 euros each (come on, 15,000 in Paris!), The enthusiasm of the crowds is likely to come to an end..

The product itself may well be successful (read our), powerful brakes slow down – stop ?! – its rise. "The product offer is not enough", bounces Eric de Seynes, who recalls"Yamaha’s terrible broth in 1997/98 on e-bikes"(VAE)…

"Our bikes worked perfectly", however believes the former CEO of YMF,"but we failed to sell them". The distribution network was certainly not the most suitable, customers were not yet ready … But they are today: 55,000 VAE were sold in France last year. !

"BMW now has a very successful product, Vectrix scooters were also good, but autonomy limits these vehicles to urban use where recharging its batteries is a constraint.", deplores Eric de Seynes:"in the city, the majority of people who live in apartments have almost nowhere to plug in their scooters. The use is complicated, the price is high … Potential customers are not ready to start"…

"The awakening of electricity may come from China", observes Marcel Driessen for BMW:"per 1000 inhabitants, there are 500 cars in Europe, 800 in the United States … and 20 (yes, twenty, Editor’s note!) in China ! We will have to find an alternative to the combustion engine in cities like Beijing or Shanghai".

At KTM, "we started with E-parks concepts", intervenes Éric Anthunes, president of KTM France:"so people can try out our Freeride E and realize that in the field of motorcycle leisure, electrics are an interesting way to go."… on MNC naturally: stay tuned !

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