As lockdowns stretch into summer, the e-bike boom that accompanied COVID-19’s arrival shows no signs of slowing down, according to new sales figures from some of the world’s most popular manufacturers. 

During the early days of the pandemic, anxiety over the coronavirus powered the largest spike in bike sales since the 1970s oil crisis, as commuters’ search for socially distanced alternatives to buses, trains, and ride-hail sent the demand for bikes soaring around the world. Meanwhile, in global cities like Bogota, Seattle, Milan, Montreal, and Paris, officials were busy expanding cycling infrastructure to encourage residents to emerge from lockdown on two wheels instead of behind the wheel of a car.

Riding these tailwinds, the e-bike emerged as a popular choice for new buyers looking for comfort, speed, and convenience. According to market research from N.P.D. Group, in March, US retail sales of e-bikes jumped 85% from a year earlier. 

As the pandemic drags on, that initial burst of enthusiasm has morphed into a months-long hot streak for the e-bike industry. “We’ve never experienced anything like this,” say Brett Thurber, owner of the Bay Area e-bike shop The New Wheel.

E-bike companies’ sales data confirms what retailers are seeing on the ground. 

California-based manufacturer Aventon experienced staggering growth in Q2, with global retail and DTC orders rising 324% compared to the same period in 2019. In some states, including Nevada, Michigan, Utah, New Hampshire, Kansas, Kentucky, Vermont, and, Wyoming, the company’s sales shot up 1,000% or more year over year.  

The Dutch e-bike company VanMoof saw an incredible 379% spike in global demand in Q2 compared to the same period last year, fueled by pre-orders for its new S3 and X3 models. The company also made significant in-roads in the US market, where its year-over-year sales grew 91% in the first half of the year.

Incumbent bike maker Specialized also dramatically outperformed last year’s benchmarks. In April, US sales of its electric models shot up 200%. 

UK-based GoCycle witnessed orders of its folding GX e-bike rise 65% and site traffic shoot up 155% in the last six weeks compared to the same period last year, a bump that the company attributes mainly to the pandemic. “Covid is pulling the adoption curve forward and the wider population is switching fast to what is undoubtedly the best form of sustainable and healthy personal urban transport,” says GoCycle founder and designer Richard Thorpe.  

The enormous uptick in e-bike demand has placed strain on supply chains, with top companies racing to expand production. Vanmoof raised nearly $15 million in May to ramp up its production to 10,000 units per month, tripling its previous output, and Aventon says it has quadrupled production since the pandemic started. 

Still, many e-bike brands are dependent on a handful of suppliers for components, which has led to intense competition. “We are experiencing increased costs for parts because there are a limited number of factories that provide batteries to the majority of the brands,” says Aventon CMO Adele Nasr, “It’s become a bit of a bidding war.”

Production constraints at the factories are manifesting themselves in the form of bare shelves at many shops. GoCycle says it has already sold through entire 2020 UK production run for some of its more popular models. Loren Copsey, owner of Washington DC electric cargo bike shop The Daily Rider, says “We're starting to see shortages from distributors, especially in popular sizes and entry-level prices.” But Thurber of The New Wheel believes supply will soon catch up to demand, “We will likely run out of many key bikes by September, but our hope is that we will have good substitutes and supply will even out a bit by November.”

Whether e-bike sales continue to thrive as society reopens is an open question. If public transit can be made safe for riders, as some studies suggest it can, or if commuters decide cars offer better social distancing, the wave of interest in e-bikes may crash as quickly as it formed. But while consumer preferences can change overnight, the commercial and physical infrastructure that has been created to enable the e-bike boom is less likely to disappear. Factories and bike lanes, once built, are rarely torn down.