From a rare novelty just a mere decade ago, to a staple mode of transport today, electric bikes have gained popularity over the last few years. The last decade has seen a step up in electric vehicle innovation, with e-bikes becoming lighter, more efficient, and gaining increased battery performance.
With benefits such as regular exercise, a decrease in carbon emissions compared to other vehicles, and pedal-assist making longer journeys more attainable, more and more Britons are opting for electric bikes. From growing popularity to people’s attitudes to e-bikes, we’ve rounded up the most important up-to-date electric bike statistics in the UK.
- E-bike UK search data
- How Britons feel about e-bikes
- E-bike sales statistics
- Commuting-related e-bike statistics
E-bike UK search data
Electric bikes experienced a massive boom in interest during the 2020 lockdowns, and have remained popular since. The data below comes from search data tool Ahrefs, and highlights how many people in the UK search for e-bike related topics each month.
- More than 17K people in the UK search for ‘e bike’ every month at present, increasing by almost 60% compared to 2019, the year before the lockdowns.
- More than 2,600 people in the UK search for e-bike conversion kits every month at present.
- Top 5 searched-for e-bike categories in the UK as of 2024:
- E mountain bikes
- folding e-bikes
- e dirt bikes
- e cargo bikes
- e gravel bikes
- Also according to Ahrefs search data, some of the most popular e-bike brands in the UK include Cube, Trek and Mondraker
How do Britons feel about e-bikes?
While e-bikes are still far from the largest mode of transport, attitudes to electric bikes in the UK are overwhelmingly positive, with the main benefits cited as convenience and sustainability.
- 1 in 4 UK adults have considered purchasing an electric bike (Electric Bike Alliance).
- 39% of UK adults in a sustainable transport survey said that a reason for buying or considering buying an electric bike was to tackle journeys that are ‘too long’ for a conventional bicycle (International Journal of Sustainable Transportation).
- 54.3% choose e-bikes because they are ‘less effort to ride than a conventional bike’ while 26.2% choose them ‘to avoid car parking problems or costs’.
- 25.1% choose e-bikes because they are less expensive than driving, and 15.4% because they are less expensive than public transport.
- In the same survey, 24.7% of respondents cited being unable to ride a conventional bike for long as part of the reason for e-bike purchases, while 31.4% chose them for environmental reasons.
- 47% of car owners say that e-bikes are a suitable alternative to cars for shorter journeys (AutoTrader).
Of course, many e-bikes can also replace longer journeys. While covering a distance of 30-60 miles before recharging is the norm, models are available that can go 250 miles before you need to plug back in (Linky).
E-bike sales statistics
While e-bikes are seen as crucial to reducing car dependency, the UK seems to lag in this shift, trailing behind other European countries in terms of sales. Nonetheless, e-bike sales in the UK are gaining momentum, according to the below figures from Statista.
- In 2023, around 180,830 e-bikes were sold across the UK (1).
- Almost 10% (9.67%) of bicycles sold in the UK in 2023 were e-bikes, up from just 0.86% in 2015 (2).
- The average price of a new e-bike is falling, with the European average dropping to €2,350 in 2023, a drop of -5.7% compared to the €2,492 average in 2022. (3)
- The global market for electric bicycles is predicted to grow by 16.8 billion US dollars in the next 5 years, meaning it will be worth $51.78billion by 2029 (4).
- Germany, France, and the Netherlands are the most e-bike obsessed countries in Europe, with Germany seeing more than 2.1 million e-bike sales in 2023, France over 781,000, and the Netherlands over 448,000 (1).
- Paul’s Cycles saw a 12% increase in electric bicycle sales between 2023 and 2024.
- In the 12 months to October 2024, Paul’s Cycles three most popular e-bikes were:
E-bike safety statistics
Despite attracting more press than accidents and injuries involving standard bicycles, studies published in the Journal of Transport and Health have found that e-bikes have the same likelihood and severity as conventional bicycles, meaning they are no less or more safe.
- The legal speed limit for an electric bike motor in the UK is 15.5mph. While e-bikes can be ridden at faster speeds, motor assistance stops at this limit (Gov.UK).
- The average experienced cyclist travels at 16-19 mph on a standard push bike, while most cyclists don’t go above 16 mph, suggesting that the e-bike motor assistance limit creates a speed equivalent to a standard bicycle (Road Bike magazine).
Commuting-related e-bike statistics
Electric bikes take less effort to ride, making them ideal for if you want to arrive at work feeling fresh, while still enjoying the benefits of daily exercise.
- 40% of UK e-bike users use their bikes for commuting to and from work (International Journal of Sustainable Transportation).
- The cost of a good quality electric bike from a reputable retailer which will last for multiple years is comparable to a year’s worth of commuting on the London Underground between zones 1 and 3 (Intelligent Transport).
- A study on the physical benefits of e-bikes showed that a reduction in cardiometabolic risk factors was achieved with just four weeks of e-bike commuting. (Urban Transport Group / PubMed).
- Shimano’s State of the Nation Report states that leisure and family cycling is the main reason to use e-bikes (31%) with travel/commuting being the second most popular choice (28%) followed by sport/fitness (16%) and carrying heavy loads (11%).
- Electric cargo bikes are a growing trend, with online searches for this type of transport rising 70% in the last 5 years (Google Trends / Glimpse – October 2019 to October 2024).
- 4% of all commuting trips in London are made by bicycle, compared to 2.6% of non-commuting trips.
- Following the introduction of e-bikes to London’s Santander Cycles scheme in 2022, more than 684,000 e-bike trips were undertaken in London just one year, with most of these trips being commuters. (Transport for London).
- Between January 2019 and March 2023, Lime e-bikes were used by over 1.25 million riders in London, taking over 12 million e-bike trips (Steer Lime Report).
- Over one-third (39%) of Lime e-bike trips are made for commuting purposes (Steer Lime Report).
Statistics on electric bike benefits
Some may think that electric bikes reduce the amount of physical activity compared to regular bikes, but did you know that the opposite is true? A study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Physical Health shows that electric bikes allow riders to reach a higher weekly energy expenditure than conventional cycles due to increased distance covered.
- Using e-bikes instead of cars could reduce car CO2 emissions in England by up to 50%, approximately 30 million tonnes annually (CREDS).
- Switching from a daily car journey to an e-bike can save an average 249 g of CO2 for every 1 km travelled (Scottish Power).
- Travelling by bike contributes to living longer with less chance of needing hospital treatment for any illness (BMJ). E-biking can enhance physical fitness by 10% (TRANSITION Clean Air Network).
- 86% of surveyed Association of Cycle Traders members see e-cycles as a key area for their business. By 2050, the e-bike sector could contribute at least £1 billion gross value added to the UK economy and support a minimum of 40,000 jobs (Department for Transport).
Find out more about the benefits of e-bikes on the Electric Bike Alliance website.
Find the perfect e-bike for you at Paul’s Cycles
Are you looking for the perfect e-bike, but not sure where to start? Check out our electric bike buying guide, with helpful tips on how to choose between different bike types, batteries, and activities, or check out our range of e-bikes here.
