July 8, 2020 - Even before the pandemic, bicycles were enjoying an uptick in popularity but the coronavirus is accelerating the shift towards pedal power in Europe. With almost 1,500 kilometers opening up more space for cyclists in cities from Berlin to Lisbon, according to the European Cyclists’ Federation, governments are also helping to fuel the trend reports Richard Weiss in Bloomberg Green.
The emergence of e-bikes offers a viable option over cars for more consumers and with incentives ranging from 100 Euros ($113 US) to as much as 1,500 Euros for heavy business users of e-bikes, it’s clear that European cities are betting on bikes to fight congestion and contagion as pandemic lockdowns are lifted.
Companies are seeing unit sales triple with unprecedented demand also propelling new services like Swapfiets, an Amsterdam-based company that offers bike subscriptions which recently announced plans to expand.
Read the full article here.
