The growth of the sharing economy has adversely affected Taiwan’s bicycle industry as overall export value of its products slid downward. However, according to recent data published by the Customs Administration under the island nation’s Ministry of Finance, a silver lining lies on the horizon as e-bikes have experienced “a rise in both volume and price” in recent months.
Specifically, latest figures show that Europe and North America are accounting for over 90% of Taiwanese e-bikes exports, while the top three importing countries were the Netherlands, the US, and Germany.
E-bikes is one of the popular modes of green transportation, and like any physical items are now being imbued with smart capabilities, being fitted with sensors that collect data that monitor users’ fitness and behavioural patterns.
Based on figures released by Taiwan’s Customs Administration, the international e-bike market being driven by Europe, as demand for e-bikes among seniors in the EU market increases. With gradually maturing technology and decreasing unit prices, the continent – with its emphasis on environmental protection – has become one of the major e-bike markets globally.
The average unit price of e-bikes exported to the EU from Taiwan has also risen significantly by nearly 37%, thus creating an increase in the overall export value of e-bikes. Taiwan's export structure, apart from Europe, is also led by exports of e-bikes to North America and in 2019 reached 144 thousand units in volume, ranking first in terms of growth of export value among all regions.
Quality over quantity
Taiwanese bicycle industry stresses quality over quantity as well as pursuing high-tech and high-value-added products, it has also greatly affected the development of the global bicycle technology.
For several years now, Taiwan's two major bicycle brands - Giant and Merida - have actively developed e-bike products to satisfy the global demand.
For one, Giant Group has invested EUR15 million to set up a new plant in Hungary to get closer to the rapid rising of e-bike market in Europe by shortening the supply chain.
Giant bicycles are currently sold in over 50 countries worldwide with over 10,000 distributors around the world and has been developing power-assisted bicycles since 1999. And was also the first brand to bring power-assisted bicycles into the European market.
Meanwhile, Merida. has also been targeting e-bikes segment, particularly with the launch of its e160 electric mountain bicycle released three years ago. With its new carbon fibre frame, which is lighter and more rigid, as well as a heat-conducting device to prevent the battery overheating, it caused a stir in the biking community for touting that climbing uphill would no longer be a burden.
