Sales figures of new speed pedelecs fell sharply in July by 17,4% to 1 362 units or 287 fewer than in July 2022. As a result, the cumulative annual total over the first seven months is 0,9% below the figure from last year. The figures come from the mobility federation Traxio.

One of the explanations is that people are on holiday. Apart from that, many potential buyers have postponed their purchases due to the bad weather in July. Still, we’re approaching the limit of 10 000 registered vehicles, with a cumulative total of 9 776 units.

Leasing is booming

Private sales have fallen sharply; leasing, on the other hand, is booming (+43,7%). East Flanders remains in the lead for leasing, followed by Flemish Brabant, Antwerp, and Limburg.

Remarkably, far fewer speed pedelecs are registered by Antwerp and West Flanders-based leasing companies, but all the more by private individuals. While private individuals accounted for almost half of sales last year, their share has fallen to 31,4% in 2023.

‘Astonishing growth rates’

On the second-hand market, too, we see a high score for July alone (+27,3%), which means that in the first seven months of the year, 638 more second-hand high-speed bicycles (+19,8%) were registered than in 2022 (and even 183,8% more than two years ago). According to Filip Rylant,  Traxio’s spokesperson, these are “astonishing growth rates”.

The success of second-hand speed pedelecs can largely be explained by the increasing number of leased speed pedelecs that become available and are bought and resold. In July, a total of 2 029 new and second-hand speed pedelecs were registered, achieving a total of 13 642 for the first semester.

East Flanders on top

Speed pedelecs remain extremely popular in Flanders. Antwerp (1 772 units, -9%) used to be the forerunner, but now East Flanders (2 522 units, +13%) and Flemish Brabant (2 248 units, +6%) take the lead, followed by Limburg (2 112 units, -9%). The biggest loser is West Flanders (688 units, -39%).

What is the reason for the decline in Antwerp and West Flanders? Fewer bicycle leasing companies are located in these provinces. As a result, they have a larger share of private registrations.

Stiff competition

Although employees in Wallonia can now also get premiums for using the bike for commuting, the number of registrations for speed pedelecs in Brussels and Wallonia remains a marginal phenomenon compared to Flanders. Nevertheless, we see some nice growth figures on the Walloon/Brussels side, with a slight increase in Brussels (217 units, +3%) and in Walloon Brabant a strong +15% to 86 units.

The increase in the Brussels Capital Region is remarkable because the speed pedelec has fewer assets and faces stiff competition from the Brussels region’s extensive range of shared bicycles and e-scooters.

Since their first appearance on the market in 2015, the total fleet of speed pedelecs is estimated to be around 1 000 units. Leased vehicles often are replaced after a couple of years and re-enter the used bike market. The second-hand market, therefore, grows exponentially.