In 2020, 514,672 electrically assisted bicycles (VAE) were sold in France. It was 388,100 in 2019, 340,000 in 2018, 255,000 in 2017… And last year? It’s still too early to tell. “The figures will be communicated at the beginning of April, replies Virgile Caillet, general delegate ofUnion Sport & Cycle, professional organization of the sports sector. But it is certain that sales continued to grow. »
Behind this double-digit growth, we can see a golden opportunity for French industry to accelerate the manufacture of VAE and its components on its territory*. We can also consider that the fleet of electric bicycles in circulation is constantly growing and that a second-hand market can only emerge.
From city bikes to mountain bikes
It is this second reading that Toussaint Wattinne and Stéphane Ficaja made at the end of November. Former Ubers, they launched “Upway”, a “marketplace” specializing in the reconditioning and resale of second-hand electric assistance bicycles. The start-up has taken up residence in Gennevilliers (Hauts-de-Seine) on a former site of Tesla, the high-end electric car manufacturer. It is there, in a 1,000 m² workshop, that the electric bikes arrive that the start-up buys from individuals in the four corners of France, or from professionals all over Western Europe. “We have 500 bikes for sale today on our online platform and we are currently adding between 100 and 150 per week,” says Toussaint Wattinne. From city bikes (the largest contingent) to mountain bikes, including speedbikes, mountain bikes and folding bikes. “In the lot, we regularly collect VAEs from brands popular with cyclists, says Toussaint Wattine. Like Canyon, Lapierre, Giant, Wanmooth…”
Before being posted online, they all followed the path in the Gennevilliers warehouse, with an obligatory visit to the workshop where Upway’s five mechanics and their team leader work. Time for a little makeover. “The analysis is done on twenty inspection points, from the frame to the battery, including the motor and the safety elements”, continues the co-founder. The start-up then promises the replacement of mechanical parts and wear parts that require it. And in fact the same for the electronic part (motor, electric assistance, battery).
Weak person-to-person sales?
In the end, there are few electric bikes whose life cannot be extended, Upway is assured. Even when the battery – often the most expensive part of an e-bike – seems out of order. “In many cases, it’s a connection problem. Otherwise, by changing a few parts, the battery can recover more than 80% of its initial autonomy,” says Toussaint Wattinne. Below this, Upway reconditions it (replacement of used cells with new cells) or replaces it completely ** when the operation is not possible.
Be that as it may, each bike put back in the saddle by Upway is guaranteed for one year on its structural elements (frame, battery, motor and electronics)… The company also ensures that the bikes that she buys do not come from thefts. This is the big plus that Toussaint Wattine sees at Upway: “there are already second-hand electric bikes for sale on the Internet today. But transactions between individuals remain weak, due to a lack of confidence and guarantee on the condition of the bike. »
Less expensive… and available immediately
To this first “plus” are added others, more related to the fact of buying second-hand. It is already the cost, which is “the main obstacle today to the purchase of a new electric bicycle, the average price of which in France is 2,000 euros [contre 400 euros pour un vélo mécanique] “, concedes Virgile Caillet. On Upway, “the bikes are 20 to 60% cheaper than their new model, with an average of around -35%”, slips Toussaint Wattine. Several of these “Upway” bikes, although second-hand, are also eligible for aid from local authorities and/or the State. for the purchase of an electric bicycle.
Those displayed online are also just waiting to be delivered, a major advantage these days. Because the strong demand for VAE, associated with a shortage of raw materials and overwhelmed Asian factories, have created tensions on the new market since the end of containment, to the point of sometimes having to wait several months before being delivered.
At the National VAE Conference, last October in Grenoble, professionals in the sector expected to shortages that last until 2023. Virgile Caillet moderates today: “Even if there are still some tensions on the components, more related to their transport than to their production, the situation has improved significantly overall, he believes. In any case, there is stock available in the stores. »
A new REP sector that can only boost this second-hand market?
Virgile Caillet does not doubt the rise of the second-hand VAE market. Not just because their stock is going to grow. “Several laws push to structure this market, he observes. In particular the Anti-waste law for a circular economy (Agec). It enacts the creation of a sector to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on the recycling of sporting goods and bicycles, one of the axes of which is the recovery and repair of used bicycles. »
This sector officially came into being on January 1. But the time that it is structured, the collection of used bicycles and their distribution between the actors wishing to recondition them should not begin until the end of the year, projects Virgile Caillet. “It will then be expected that a growing number of players will expand their activities to second-hand pedelecs, or even specialize in them,” he continues.
In a way, Upway is getting ahead. Since last week, the start-up, which has twenty employees, has been going to Belgium to buy and sell second-hand bicycles to individuals. “We will launch in Germany and the Netherlands before the summer, which should involve the opening of a second storage and repair site,” adds Toussaint Wattine. It is in any case on the scale of Europe that Upway reasons today. “There are already 20 million VAE in circulation, there will be 100 million in 2035, predicts the co-founder of Upway. We can easily imagine that 20% of this fleet is resold each year…” That makes them bikes to be reconditioned.