Unusually warm and dry weather conditions have been credited with boosting bicycle sales last year – with a greater proportion of cyclists opting to ease muscle strain with the assistance of e-bikes in Switzerland’s mountainous terrain.
Some 110,000 e-bikes were sold in Switzerland last year – the first time sales have exceeded 100,000 units.
Financial figures for bicycle vendors were even more impressive as Swiss cyclists tended to opt for more expensive electronic models. E-bike sales were therefore 40% higher as total bike revenues reached CHF1.77 billion ($1.76 billion).
The average cost of an e-bike (CHF3,500 or $3,472) weighs in three times higher than conventional bicycles. This makes the e-bike craze a welcome lucrative development for bicycle vendors.
The biggest growth of all was witnessed in the mountain e-bike category, with sales increasing by more than 50% last year. This confirms the trend of riders seeking a little help from electric motors.
The figures may also partly explain why there were more e-bike accidents last year. Some 309 e-bike riders were seriously injured, an increase of 38%, while 12 fatalities were recorded – up from 5 in 2017.
Popular Stories
More
Life & Aging
Switzerland no longer wants to foot the bill for ‘suicide tourism’
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
Swiss federal office sees no reason to end deportations of asylum-seekers to Croatia
This content was published on
Switzerland's State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) continues to deport asylum-seekers to Croatia. It thus rejects a demand from the Swiss Refugee Council in mid-February, which called for a halt to the returns.
ChatGPT responds to negative emotions and therapy, research shows
This content was published on
Stressful information can also cause anxiety in artificial intelligence (AI). As scientists in Zurich have shown, it's even possible to calm the GPT-4 AI model with mindfulness exercises.
Mortgage benchmark fall paves way for potential rent cuts in Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland’s national benchmark for mortgage costs dropped to the level it had before the global inflation surge, paving the way for potential rent reductions.
Switzerland ‘deeply concerned’ by Trump’s death penalty order
This content was published on
Switzerland has told the UN Human Rights Council that it is "deeply concerned" by US President Donald Trump's recent executive order to strengthen capital punishment at federal and state level.
Blatter, Platini return to court for new fraud trial over CHF2 million FIFA payment
This content was published on
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and former UEFA President Michel Platini appeared in court in Switzerland on Monday accused of fraud - 2.5 years after they were cleared.
Israel criticises Swiss decision to host Middle East conference in Geneva on Friday
This content was published on
Israel has condemned Switzerland for planning to host a meeting on international humanitarian law in the Middle East next Friday in Geneva.
Centre Party’s Franziska Biner elected to Valais government
This content was published on
Voters in canton Valais in southern Switzerland elected Franziska Biner to the cantonal government in the first round of voting, beating off more established politicians.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
E-bike sales power to new heights in Switzerland
This content was published on
Nearly 90,000 e-bikes were snapped up by riders looking for battery-powered assistance, according to the Swiss Bicycle Suppliers’ AssociationExternal link on Thursday. The biggest spike was in the mountain e-bike category with around 29,000 put to use on trails (an increase of 38.3%). Other bicycle segments did not fare as well. All-terrain and cyclo-cross bike…
This content was published on
The third-warmest autumn since records began has followed hard on the heels of the third-warmest summer and the fourth-mildest spring. Only the record autumn of 2006 and that of 2014 saw warmer average temperatures than this year. That means that four of the five warmest autumn seasons in Switzerland have been recorded within the past…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.