Cargo bike trend
The ZIV draws on its comprehensive expertise to address new technology and products in the dynamic bicycle and e-bike market. Cargo bikes naturally also count among the focus areas to which the association is highly committed. We meticulously review the technical conditions and traffic legislation on the German and European levels, compile in-depth market data, communicate with various stakeholders and actively advise and assist companies and start-ups.
Cargo bikes – a rapidly-growing model group
In cooperation with our member companies, who were responsible for 90% of the bicycles and e-bikes that were produced in Germany in 2023, we collect and analyse the annual market data and break it down by bike model and segment. One interesting fact here: ZIV members from Germany and neighbouring European countries are among the world’s innovation leaders in the cargo bike industry.
Cargo bikes have been a fixture in the German bicycle and e-bike market for many years now and constitute one of the fastest-growing bike model groups. While around 60,000 cargo bikes were sold in Germany in 2018, this figure had risen sharply to 235,250 by 2024. Cargo bikes intended for commercial uses are not included in these figures. One key driver of this growth is motor assistance, which makes a whole host of uses possible, especially for families with children. Whether as a substitute to a (second) car or in the commercial sector, cargo bikes have long since earned their place as a practical, environmentally-friendly and extremely cost-effective solution in the mobility mix.
See the ZIV market data for more information:
Cargo bikes have been a fixture in the German bicycle and e-bike market for many years now and constitute one of the fastest-growing bike model groups. While around 60,000 cargo bikes were sold in Germany in 2018, this figure had risen sharply to 235,250 by 2024. Cargo bikes intended for commercial uses are not included in these figures. One key driver of this growth is motor assistance, which makes a whole host of uses possible, especially for families with children. Whether as a substitute to a (second) car or in the commercial sector, cargo bikes have long since earned their place as a practical, environmentally-friendly and extremely cost-effective solution in the mobility mix.
See the ZIV market data for more information:
A strong advocate of cargo bikes
– a leader on the European level
– a leader on the European level
At the end of 2022, ZIV assumed the chair of the European cargo bike working group, which is organised jointly by the Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry (CONEBI) and Cycling Industries Europe (CIE). «The aim of the working group is to discuss technical issues relating to standardization and legislation as well as general issues concerning cargo bikes, achieve common positions and represent these to external stakeholders, for example in politics,» says Tim Salatzki, Head of Technology & Standardization at ZIV, who has taken over the chair. In addition to the private use of cargo bikes, the working group also discusses commercial uses and the corresponding specifications, along with the need to potentially define new categories. «We also consider aspects such as the safety of parts and the overall system and, beyond this, whether particularly large and heavy cargo bikes still count as pedal electric cycles (pedelecs) or electronically power-assisted cycles (EPAC) in the legal sense and are thus equivalent to bicycles or whether another suitable category could or must be defined,» Tim Salatzki explains.
The ZIV provides
an overview of subsidies
an overview of subsidies
Cargo bikes are today an excellent multifunctional vehicle and an important enabler in the necessary mobility transition. In Germany, many different local and regional funding options are available to private and commercial users wishing to purchase a cargo bike. It is possible to save quite a bit of money. cargobike.jetzt has compiled a list of the different subsidies that are available in its online database. ZIV supports cargobike.jetzt as a sponsor. More than 160 different subsidies for purchasing a cargo bike in Germany and Austria for private or commercial purposes are listed in the database, sorted by federal state; the database is updated on an ongoing basis.
More information:
Cargo bike subsidies
Database of subsidies compiled by cargobike.jetzt with support from the ZIV
Database of subsidies compiled by cargobike.jetzt with support from the ZIV