The motorcycle market has collapsed by -25% in Europe in three years

While awaiting our summer assessment of the motorcycle market and in addition to our half-yearly analysis, the lobby of motorcycle manufacturers in Europe (ACEM) draws up a gloomy assessment of the European motorcycle business. Only positive note: the electric two-wheeler.

While waiting for our summer report on the motorcycle and scooter market and in addition to our 2011 half-year report (read), the lobby of motorcycle manufacturers in Europe (ACEM) draws up an alarming report on the motorcycle and scooter business in Europe: with a further decline of -6% in the first half of 2011, the market collapsed by 25%, losing a quarter of its registrations compared to the first half of 2008…

"Since 2008, 25% of the European motorcycle market has been swept away by the economic crisis", notes ACEM in a press release published yesterday in Brussels:"in the first six months of 2011, 879,773 new motorized two-wheelers were registered, or 6.27% less than in the first half of 2010".

This decline is mainly due to the poor results of the southern countries more severely affected by the crisis (Italy -16.29%, Greece -26.42% and Spain -16.61%), which affect the European market as a whole and hide the signs of recovery from other countries such as Germany (+ 1.73%), France (+ 2.43%), Belgium (+ 9.10%), Switzerland (+ 7.43%) or ‘Austria, underlines ACEM.

Motorcycles and scooters over 125 cc recorded the largest decreases in the first half with -48,509 units (-7.69%), while mopeds fell only -10,295 units (-3.35%), except in Spain where they collapsed by (-31.58%).

The future of electric two-wheelers

The only positive point is that electric two-wheelers (0.3% of the motorized two-wheeler market) are doubling their registrations each year, creating a real new market segment. So much so that with 11,000 units sold in the first half of the year compared to 5,567 over the same period last year, more electric motorcycles and scooters are sold in Europe today than 100% electric cars..

"A lot is said about electric vehicles (read our, Editor’s note), but our data shows that electric two-wheelers are among the first to take advantage of this new technology on a large scale, due to their nature and use.", underlines the secretary general of ACEM.

"But despite these encouraging beginnings, incentives and specific battery charging infrastructure are needed to reach a critical threshold. Only a real investment by the authorities will make it possible to benefit from this type of advanced product.", continues Jacques Compagne, adding that"despite the relentless effects of the economic crisis, manufacturers of motorized two-wheelers are concentrating their innovative capacities on the development of safety, fuel savings and environmental performance".

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