IN BRIEF
China now accounts for 47% of European e-bike imports by volume in the first quarter of 2026, up from 17% two years earlier. The average price of an e-bike imported from China stands at 329 € — versus 1 706 € for an e-bike from Taiwan, or 81% cheaper. Import volumes from China have risen by +119% year on year (from 41,000 to 88,000 units). Taiwan still leads on value (49% of total imports in euros) despite the drop in volume.
329 euros. That is the average price of an electrically assisted bicycle imported from China into the European Union in the first quarter of 2026, according to Eurostat data published by Bike Europe. By comparison, an e-bike from Taiwan costs an average of 1,706 euros at import. The gap says everything about a market that is being reshaped in depth.
China takes the lead on import volumes
Two years ago, China accounted for only 17% of European e-bike imports. In the first quarter of 2026, its share reached 47% — making it Europe’s leading source of supply by volume, ahead of Taiwan (23%). In unit terms, arrivals from China almost doubled in a year: from 41,000 units to 88,000, a rise of 119%.
Across all European e-bike imports in the first quarter, Eurostat counts 186,000 units for a total value of 144 million euros.
Taiwan holds its ground at the high end
Despite the fall in volume market share (Taiwan accounted for 53% in 2020), the island still leads on value: it still represents 49% of total imports in euros. The difference comes down to the structure of the offer: Taiwanese groups such as Giant and Merida, along with premium OEM suppliers, address the mid- and high-end segments — Bosch motors, carbon frames, high-end Shimano components — while Chinese exporters are concentrating for now on entry-level models.
Tariffs that have not been enough
Europe introduced anti-dumping duties on Chinese electric bikes from 2019, then extended and reinforced them. These measures appear insufficient in the face of falling production costs in China and the growing number of factories in third countries (Vietnam, Morocco, Cambodia) that allow some manufacturers to work around the thresholds. The debate over their effectiveness — and over a possible increase — is resurfacing in the European institutions.
For European distributors and manufacturers that source from Taiwan or produce in Europe, price pressure is accelerating. An e-bike at 329 euros at import leaves room for margin in distribution — and shifts the balance of the entry-level market, which is particularly sensitive in France.
