Dutch Ebike Boom!

This article was reported by the "Bike europe, Trade journal for the European Bicycle and Scooter Market" on January 23, 2007:

Electric Bike Boom in Holland

BUNNIK, The Netherlands – The electric bike market in Holland is booming. At the annual Congress of the Dutch Dealer Association BOVAG that was held yesterday, a GfK market survey indicated that electric bikes sales upped a big 63% in one year to about 32,000 units.

The GfK survey over the first nine months of 2006, also indicated that bike sales in Holland upped 5% in units and 8% in turnover. During the January – September 2006 period a total of 1,077,000 bicycles were sold. By far the biggest part of that unit sale was delivered by the Dutch bike dealers; 828,000 units; up 4% over the 2005 figure.
On the electric bike sales, the GfK market survey revealed that 32,000 units were sold during the January – September period up 63% on the 19,000 for the first nine months of 2005. If the 60% plus in sales also continues during the rest of the year, then 2006 total sales of electric bikes in Holland will run up to about 55,000 units. 2005 ended at 34,000 E-Bikes sold in Holland.
Next to the boom in electric bikes, last year another drastic change took place in Holland. During the past years prices for bikes continued to increase. That was stopped in 2006; the mid-end of the market in the price range € 500 - € 699 showed a huge 33% growth.

This kind of new may lead to higher quality and lower prices electric assist bicycles.