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Q: Size of Market for Motor Scooters ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: Size of Market for Motor Scooters
Category: Business and Money > Economics
Asked by: santabarbara-ga
List Price: $15.00
Posted: 11 Aug 2005 20:16 PDT
Expires: 10 Sep 2005 20:16 PDT
Question ID: 554748
What is the size of the market in the U.S. and Europe for motor
scooters and electric bicycles? Vespa's would be considered as motor
scooters. Are there any Chinese made motor scooters or electric
bicycles being exported to the U.S. or Europe?
Answer  
Subject: Re: Size of Market for Motor Scooters
Answered By: bobbie7-ga on 13 Aug 2005 14:22 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hello again Santabarbara,


The motor scooter market is the fastest growing motorcycle segment in the U.S.

?According to Powersports Business, a popular motorcycle industry
trade magazine, motor scooter sales grew at a rate of 18% in 2003.
2004 total U.S. scooter sales are estimated to be well over 100,000
units. ?

?Launched in April 2004, more than 500,000 Schwinn Sting Ray units
were sold up to December 31, 2004.?

Dorel Industries
http://www.dorel.com/press/2005/DII_Scooters_EN_vf.pdf


------------------------------------------------------------


?National sales of scooters are increasing at a rate of 20 percent annually.?

Scooter sales comprise 3% of the total U.S. power sports market.

Demographics

?About 47,000 scooters were sold in the United States in 2003 based on
the "DJB Composite Index." This figure could be closer to 60,000 if
one includes non-MIC reporting OEMs and gray-market imports.?

?Scooter market demographics are a tide of conflicting currents, for
the age demographic falls between 16 and 70. High school students,
college students, thirty somethings and retirees are the four major
category groups buying new scooters. Income demographics are just as
spread out: Low-income households buy scooters for basic
transportation, middle-class families to battle commuter traffic, and
the wealthy for weekend toys.?

?? 30 to 40 percent of scooter buyers are women.?

?Today there are four regional players vying for the U.S. scooter
market: Italy/Spain, Japan, China/Taiwan and India.?

Read about each one here:

?The new Scooter market: can reborn scooter demand in the U.S.
translate into dollars for your dealership??
Dealernews: March, 2004  
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3323/is_3_40/ai_114717600
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3323/is_3_40/ai_114717600/pg_2


------------------------------------------------------------


50cc-class motorbikes
 - existing $3+ billion market
 2.5 million units sold per year in  Europe, US, Australia, Taiwan, Japan

U.S. Market

?50cc-class motor scooters
 100,000 units/year
 67% annual growth rate for last three years
 Investments by Piaggio (Vespa), Aprilia, Yamaha, Malaguti

 Electric ?stand-on? scooter market
 75,000 units in 2000
 estimated 100,000+ units (>$400) in 2001

 Electric bicycle market
 35,000 units in 2000
 Efforts by Ford/Th!ink, Mercedes, Giant, Currie to establish market.
 Currently still somewhat ?geeky?

European Market

?50cc-class motor scooter market is 1.4 mm units/year in Europe.
1 mm units are sold in Italy and Spain.
Substantial government incentives in Italy.

By January 2002, mandatory yearly inspection of gasoline powered
motorcycles in Italy (?Bollino Blu?) ? 30% of the scooters on the road
are expected to fail the new European Emissions Standard (?Euro 2?)?

Pennvention: 2005
http://www.tech-house.upenn.edu/projects/pennvention/docs/slides.ppt


------------------------------------------------------------


?Recent sales figures released by Piaggio USA point toward the rising
popularity and increased awareness of scootering as a viable and
affordable means of transportation in America. In 2004, U.S. retail
sales of Vespa and Piaggio scooters rose 22.6% and its market share
increased substantially in key American cities.?

The Auto Channel
http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2005/05/10/072248.html


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The U.S. electric bicycle market could grow to 1.5 million per year

?Americans, says Benjamin, want simple, low-cost (less than $600),
reliable and easy-to-service electric bikes that can carry them short
distances and up small hills. Advertising would help such vehicles to
sell, he believes, and he predicts that "the first company to use real
advertising will enjoy much better sales of electric bikes." With
those changes, the U.S. electric bicycle market could grow to 1.5
million per year, with sales to retired people for recreation, to
commuters in urban areas, and for use as toys.?

Plugged in: E-Bikes and Segways are slow to catch on?but rebates help
E: The Environmental Magazine,  Sept-Oct, 2004  by Katie Alvord
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1594/is_5_15/ai_n6335040


------------------------------------------------------------


Market Trend and Regulation of E-Scooter and E-Bike in North America
Presentation for ITRI, Taiwan March 12, 2004

Relevant exceprts:

?More Than 800,000 Scooters in 2003?

?Inexpensive scooters from Zhejiang, Shenzhen and Shanghai are the
dominant products in the USA market.?

?Most retail for less than 250 U.S.?

?Most cost less than 100 US FOB China.? 

?Most have quality problems, but quality is getting better with every shipment.? 

Brands and Companies

HCF
Razor USA
BladeZ
City Bug (JD Components)
Ideation
Currie
Leeoch
Icon
Spartan Sports
Sharper Image
Rad2Go
Go Motorboard
?No Name? Chinese imports

?CycleElectric continues to believe that the eventual size of the
electric bicycle market in the USA will be about 1.5 million pieces
per year.?

?CycleElectric believes that the eventual size of the light electric
scooter market will become about 15 million pieces per year.?

CycleElectric: 
http://www.cycleelectricusa.com/rsc/USA.ppt


------------------------------------------------------------


Electric Bicycles World Wide

European Market

?Europe will purchase about 95,000 electric bikes this year. Most from
European brands buying products or components from Taiwan, Japan, and
China.?

?Europe will grow to more than one million electric bikes every year.?

?Europe is really many small markets, not one large one.? 

?European will pay high prices for electric bikes with high levels of
quality and performance in Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland.?

?Other countries need low priced vehicles ? Italy, Eastern European Countries.?


US Market

?The USA will buy about 70,000 electric bicycles this year. The USA
will grow to more than 1 million electric bikes per year.?

?Most will be from China. Some will be from Taiwan and a few will be
made in the USA. ?

?USA consumers regard electric bikes as recreational ? not transportation.?


CycleElectric: Electric Bicycles World Wide
http://www.cycleelectricusa.com/rsc/ElectricBicyclesWorldWide.ppt


------------------------------------------------------------


Download Light Electric Vehicle Propulsion here for electric bicycle figures.
http://www.cycleelectricusa.com/rsc/LEVPropulsion.ppt


------------------------------------------------------------


World sales 2003

Electric Bicycles

China 1.0 million 
Avg Price about 300 US

Japan 160 - 200,000 
Avg Price about 750 US

EU 65,000 
Avg Price about 1,000 US

USA 35,000 
Avg Price about 1500 US

?China is expected to grow to about 4 ? 10 million units per year

Japan will grow to about 500,000 per year

EU and USA will grow to about 1.5 million units per year.?


?List of the Major Light Electric Scooter Makers and Importers in Europe

ADEL, Italy
Tante Paula, Germany, made in Taiwan
MZ, Germany
Glider, The Netherlands, made in Taiwan
GDF, Czeck Republic
Heinzmann, Germany made by HCF in Taiwan
Barth, Germany
Sachs, Germany, made in China
EZ-Rider, Netherlands, made in Taiwan
ISD, Italy, made in China?

CycleElectric: Read more here
http://www.cycleelectric.com/rsc/worldsales2003.pdf


------------------------------------------------------------


Retail light electric vehicles in the USA 2003

USA Distributors of Light Electric Vehicle products are very few:

?EV Rider sells a variety of electric scooters. (CityBug, HCF, others)
Electric Wheels International sells both electric bikes and scooters. (ETC, Merida)
Rad2Go sells scooters and motor scooters. (Various Chinese products)
Sasser Distributing sells electric scooters. (HCF primarily)
LEVT distributes Heinzmann hub motors and many types of parts.?

Brand Names that sell to dealers are:

?Vego sells two models of electric scooters.
Currie sells electric bikes and scooters ? primarily to Mass merchants, but also to
others.
Giant Bicycle Company sells their bicycles to mostly bicycle dealers.
EV Global sells their bicycle to a variety of retailers.
Zap sells their electric scooters to a variety of retailers.?

CycleElectric: 
http://www.cycleelectric.com/rsc/retailUSA2003.pdf


Search terms used: 
Motor scooters Europe OR United States +market
Electric bicycles Europe OR United States +market


I hope the information provided is helpful!

Best regards,
Bobbie7
santabarbara-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars and gave an additional tip of: $10.00
What can I say? You are always the best!

Comments  
Subject: Re: Size of Market for Motor Scooters
From: bobbie7-ga on 13 Aug 2005 17:03 PDT
 
Santa Barbara,

Thank you for the kind words, five star rating and nice tip!

It's always a pleasure to work with you.

Bobbie7

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