Europe - 2021 Key Market Registrations Surpass 2019
The latest data from ACEM, the Brussels based international motorcycle trade association for Europe, shows full year 2021 new motorcycle and scooter/moped registrations in Europe's key markets (ICE and Electric combined) as now being above the pre-pandemic levels reported for 2019.
Motorcycle registrations in five of the largest European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK) rose by +7.8% compared to 2020. A total of 949,470 motorcycles were registered in the main European markets in 2021, compared to 880,763 units in 2020. Almost all the main national motorcycle markets registered volume gains in 2021.
Italy remained the largest European market with a total of 269,600 vehicles registered (with a staggering +23.6% growth on a year-on-year basis). France, the second largest market, grew +8.5% (206,955 motorcycles), whilst Germany, the third largest motorcycle market in Europe, saw a decrease of -9.7% (199,132 motorcycles) - partly compensating for the extremely positive and counterintuitive results seen there in 2020.
The Spanish and UK motorcycle markets grew by +8.0% (166,513 units) and +10.2% (107,270 units) respectively.
Moped registrations in the six European moped markets monitored by ACEM (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain) reached a total of 264,807 units. This figure represents a decrease of -5.6% compared to the same period in 2020.
Electric motorcycle registrations (all L-category vehicles) were +28.2% in Europe's 'Big FIVE' markets at 23,084 units. Italy is the largest electric L-category vehicle market in Europe at 6,233 units (+10.9%) in 2021, with Spain second (5,494 units/-6.5%), France third (4,585 units/+61.0%), Germany fourth (3,541 units/+30.1%) and the UK fifth on 3,231 units (+243.4%).
Commenting on the current situation of the sector, Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said: "The registration figures for the year 2021 confirm the recovery of the market, after the impact of COVID-19 in the first months of last year. If we look at motorcycle and moped registrations combined, the key European markets have grown continuously between 2019 and 2021."
"Even more, if we consider the moped and the motorcycle segment separately, each of them had a higher number of registrations in 2021 than in 2019. This upward trend for three consecutive years confirms the attractiveness of our vehicles is well present, even in the current context, both as urban mobility solutions and as leisure opportunities."
The total number of Electric Motorcycles recorded by ACEM excludes 'Pedelecs' - pedal assist E-bikes. European markets can be characterized as having a higher level of acceptance for the long-term need for transport industry change - especially than is currently the case in markets such as the United States.
In that context, the 23,084 electric L-category vehicle registrations reported to ACEM by its member national industry trade associations and national transport authorities put Harley's LiveWire forecasts of 100,000 worldwide units (just for that brand) by 2026 in a less than promising context.
FYI - 'Mopeds' in Europe are low displacement 'step thru' strictly local "shop hopper" style units for use in densely populated urban and suburban situations, typically of 50 cc (3.1 ci) or less with a maximum design speed of no more than 28 mph (45 km/h).