E-bike sales up 130% in a year, says Halfords

Sales of  electric bikes have soared by 130% over the last year, reports cycle supplier Halfords. Electric cycle prices start at just under £500, with a top-range model capable of 15mph without pedalling - retailing at £2,299.

Halfords chief executive, Jill McDonald, told the Guardian that sales are hitting a “tipping point” as people understand what e-bikes are.

E-bikes mare making cycling accessible to many older people, she sad, adding that Halfords has tripled the number of outlets where the battery-assisted bikes are available. It has also trained all of its staff members to sell them and has increased its range choice. E-bikes now make up 4% of the chain’s total bike sales.

McDonald said that the future lay in cutting better deals with its suppliers and on improving efficiencies, as well as raising some prices, but this had only partly offset the impact of sterling’s fall against the dollar. Nearly all bikes are bought in dollars.

She said that prices for premium bikes sold at independent retailers had risen by as much as 15% over the period. Most mainstream operators have increased prices by between 4% and 5%. She insisted that Halfords’ prices had risen less than that.