Interest in the E-bike has increased enormously in twelve years. From 6% of total bicycle sales in 2007, E-bike sales increased to as much as 42% of the new bicycles purchased in 2019. The Corona pandemic and the associated measures have been a huge incentive for the sale of E-bikes. In May 2020, as many as 58,000 new E-bikes were purchased, an increase of 38% compared to 2019. This is good news because the E-bike makes cycling longer distances easier, which lowers the threshold to wanting to cycle these distances for commuting.
The government initiative ‘Tour de Force’, which started in 2017, aims to make cycling more attractive and to find smart solutions to the associated challenges. The cycling agenda consists of eight themes, one of which concerns ‘specific cycling target groups’. The specific target groups include commuting cyclists. Nearly 50% of employees who live within a radius of 7.5 kilometres of their work still travel by car. The government encourages employers to ensure good bicycle facilities and to pay a mileage allowance for cyclists, so that these employees will take the bicycle more often. With the arrival of the E-bike, this radius can be extended from 7.5 kilometres to 15 kilometres, which considerably increases the number of employees who could come to work by bike.
