According to a survey by the management consultancy Deloitte, 17 percent of Germans own an e-bike. Every third e-bike owner cited leisure and recreation as the most important reason to buy. In cities, more and more people and companies are using e-bikes or cargo bikes as an alternative to cars, said industry expert Kim Lachmann. Corona has further increased demand. The share of electric bicycles in total bicycle sales in Germany was 39 percent in 2020. The local bicycle trade is benefiting from the trend: Because e-bikes are expensive and more complex, 72 percent of those surveyed said that they would like to get expert advice before buying and try out the bike. In the Netherlands, according to Deloitte, 30 percent of those surveyed already own an electric bike, and every second bike sold there is an e-bike. The European trade association Cycling Industries Europe expects 20 percent more demand this year, but then gradually saturation of the market. Deloitte surveyed 11,250 people in 20 European countries in the spring. The focus was on Germany, Austria and Switzerland.