While motorcycles saw a substantial increase in sales numbers, the same, unfortunately, cannot be said for mopeds. From January to September 2023, only 155,098 mopeds were registered, a 25% drop compared to last year’s 206,927. For reference, the ACEM report includes only France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and Spain. Mopeds occupy a rather obscure space in the world of two-wheelers, as their categorization varies depending on the region. In Europe, they are generally considered L1eB and L2e for two and three-wheeled vehicles, respectively. Meanwhile, some regions also include L1e-A vehicles (certain e-bikes) as mopeds.
In the ACEM report, Secretary-General Antonio Perlot stated that there has been sustained enthusiasm for two-wheelers, both in terms of leisure and daily commuting. “The strong growth in the European market in the first nine months highlights the sustained long-term interest of consumers in two-wheeled vehicles, both for daily commuting and leisure. The early October numbers confirm the positive trend for motorcycles, with moped volumes partially recovering.” In fact, after EICMA 2023, the motorcycle market is clearly expanding, with more and more new models expected to enter the scene – both electric and internal combustion – for the 2024 model year.
Finally, it is important to note that the ACEM report, although painting a good picture of the European motorcycle industry, does not cover all the brands that occupy the two-wheeler space. ACEM members include 18 manufacturers such as BMW, Ducati, KTM, MV Agusta, Piaggio, and Triumph, as well as the four major Japanese brands. It is worth noting that new entrants – particularly those from China – are not represented in this report, so sales figures are likely much higher than the 873,985 new registrations mentioned earlier.
