Autotrader Moves Into E-Bike Market

Autotrader… it’s where you look for a car, or van…right? Well, it’s now also where you might look for an e-bike. This seems interesting, whether you think this is terrible news, or fantastic. Let’s ponder it…

On the one hand, if Autotrader is moving into this market, it surely means that’s where the money is. If there’s money, then it’s a sign of a healthy industry, which is certainly what the bike world needs right now.

If that’s where the money is, it means people are buying ebikes. Perhaps some of those ebikes are being used instead of cars. More people on bikes… always a good thing?

Autotrader sells cars, and vans. And motorbikes, and electric motorbikes. And e-bikes. Is this helping distinguish ebikes from motorbikes, or the throttle powered e-motorbikes? Or is it helping to blur the lines and muddy the waters and make ebikes more closely aligned to the motor and moto world than the bike world? The implications for access, licensing and other restrictions could be important.

Will people coming to ebikes via Autotrader be encouraged to understand trail etiquette? Will they know to ‘Be Nice, Say Hi?’ and close the gate? Will they join Cycling UK and campaign for better road safety laws? Or will ‘the rules of the road’ and all of the car-culture entitlement come to these new ebike riders?

Autotrader is part of the motor industry. Is this them taking a chunk of the bike pie (and leaving bike shops to do the repairs), or shifting away from a sinking ship of private cars? If the motor industry starts to care more about ebikes, could we see them putting their weight behind useful things like better insurance and finance schemes? Or is to have a slice of the pie to have an element of control, and keep those pesky bicyclists in their lane (fully lit up, helmeted, licenced, and on the designated cycle path)?

We’re sure you’ll have plenty to say in the comments. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out, and how cheap import/throttles/stolen bikes/battery fire issues might affect how successful this new project is. Before you head to the comments, here’s the official press release – which contains some pretty impressive numbers of the size of the market. And some stock captions.

Mother riding a cargo bike along a path in a park with her young son sitting in the front cart

E-BIKES LAND ON AUTO TRADER

UK’s largest automotive online marketplace launches an E-bike platform, connecting consumers and retailers.
Marketplace already offers over 1,500 E-bikes from 45 manufacturers.

London, 24th August 2023: E-bikes have landed on Auto Trader, the UK’s largest automotive marketplace. Offering over 1,500 E-bikes from 45 manufacturers including Raleigh and Brompton, the launch marks an exciting development in the mainstream adoption of e-mobility solutions.

With existing presence in almost all other forms of electric mobility – including vans, cars, quadricycles, mopeds and motorbikes – Auto Trader can play a vital role in growing the E-bike market. From connecting buyers and sellers, to producing engaging and educational content, with its average audience of c.65 million monthly visits, Auto Trader will raise the profile of E-bikes as an alternative mobility solution for certain types of journey.

Following on from the government’s launch of the Gear Change Plan, E-bikes offer a new personal mobility solution that can help the UK to achieve the Government‘s ambition of half of all journeys in towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030 in a more accessible and fair way. Currently, one in two car journeys are less than five miles.

Ian Plummer, Commercial Director at Auto Trader, commented on the launch:

“We are focused on helping consumers to make more environmentally friendly vehicle choices so in turn they can make more environmentally friendly journey choices. This might be walking or using a bike instead of using a car for a short journey, or perhaps an E-bike could be used to travel to a train station.

“Cars clearly are very important for most people and will undoubtedly remain the primary mobility solution here in the UK, but as we all try to make more positive changes to help combat climate change, other mobility options such as bikes can be a complementary solution. E-bikes, cars, E-cargobikes and vans, are increasingly being used for either shorter journeys or even for different parts of one journey, where appropriate.”

Onsite research carried out at the end of 2022 shows there is keen interest for E-bikes from the existing Auto Trader audience with nearly a quarter (24%) of visitors to the marketplace saying they were interested in owning an E-bike. In addition, of those visiting the leisure vehicle marketplace, nearly a third (32%) said they were interested in owning one with another 30% of respondents already owning one.

Currently, the East of England leads the pack in terms of stock volume with over a third (38%) of E-bike stock currently being advertised in that region. The Southwest takes second spot with almost a third (30%) of stock. Auto Trader provides access to a nationwide market, enabling consumers to access E-bikes from around the UK, regardless of stock levels in their region.

E-bike battery in the heat of the sun

Plummer continued: “We’re excited about the impact E-bikes can have on how we get around and on people’s behaviour – switching from a single mode of transport for most of their needs to multiple solutions which are appropriate to each journey.

“E-bikes will play a vital role in the future of mobility – a future where people make use of a connected combination of mobility solutions and can enjoy easier connections from one to the other. As part of our role in driving confidence in every journey, we’re looking forward to supporting the growth of this important sector.”

Julien Scriven, MD of Brompton Bike Hire, commented on the launch:

“Whilst over 90% of adults know how to ride a bike, less than 3% ride a bike regularly. Electric bikes are a great way to encourage the 87% to give cycling a go. At Brompton we passionately believe that it is vital to encourage people to use the most appropriate mode of transport for the journey they are taking.

“It is fantastic to see Auto Trader starting to promote electric bikes which can only help encourage their regular visitors to consider adding a bike to their choice of travel options.”

You can find out more about E-bikes on Auto Trader here: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bikes/e-bikes

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.