In Europe, it appears that more and more people are making the shift to two wheels. With a hotter than usual summer in 2023, people are making the most of the sunny weather and hitting the road on motorcycles and scooters. This is evidenced by the solid uptick in motorcycle sales for the first half of 2023, as stated in a report by the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM).
According to the ACEM report, the European market enjoyed growth of 11.3 percent from January to June 2023, compared to the same period of 2022. Putting this in numbers, a total of 600,784 motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds – collectively categorized a L-category vehicles – were registered. For reference, 539,644 units were registered in the same period in 2022. These key European markets consist of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, so let’s take a closer look at each of these markets.
Out of the five key European markets, Italy saw the biggest growth with a 19.1 percent year-on-year increase. The Italian market enjoyed a total of 192,497 new motorcycle registrations, as more people hopped on two wheels this year. Up next, a solid performance from Spain, registering 102,626 units resulting in an 11.7-percent growth rate. Germany is in third place, according to the ACEM report, as it brought in 129,964 new two-wheelers, resulting in 10.1 percent growth. France, meanwhile, is fourth at 116,224 units (7.5 percent), and the UK was the only market to experience a slight decline of 0.9 percent, with 59,741 units sold.
In the ACEM’s official press release, Antonio Perlot, the organization’s Secretary General, stated that the motorcycle industry’s long-term performance has been rather impressive. “When it comes to long term EU market trends, over the last three years motorcycles have shown an outstanding progression nearing +50 percent. Mopeds an overall reduction of 12 percent with a growing share of electric propulsion, even if fluctuating due to the effect of incentives. All in all, data confirms consumers’ growing interest for L-category vehicles, for convenient short-range mobility and for leisure.”
