Taipei,Oct.12,2012(CENS)--The market for electric scooters(e-scooters)is expected to expand from around 12 million vehicles in 2012 to exceed 103 million vehicles on Asian roads by 2018,according to a recent report from Pike Research.
The majority of e-scooters sold will be in China,which will have almost 91 million e-scooters by 2018,according to the report.
The market intelligence company for new-energy industry differentiates e-scooters from electric motorcycles(e-motorcycles)in that the former have top speed between 20 and 50 kilometers per hour(kph),while e-motorcycles can exceed 50 kph.
While the latter have a healthy and growing customer base in the Asia Pacific region,consumers tend to consider e-motorcycles a luxury,rather than essential transportation,and their market in the Asia Pacific is expected to be small compared with e-scooters.
"Electric scooters meet the mobility requirements of a growing number of urban,middle class consumers in Asia Pacific,"said senior research analyst Andy Bae."Increasing population density,rising urbanization,increases in income levels,and government policies are all fueling the demand for lightweight,highly mobile electric two-wheel vehicles."
Overall sales of electric two-wheel vehicles(e-scooters,e-motorcycles,and e-bicycles),according to the report,will reach more than 65 million units annually across Asia Pacific in 2018,with 60 million of these in China.On a cumulative basis,sales in China will reach more than 355 million units by 2018 93%of the total in Asia Pacific.
With its surging economy,widely available electricity,and growing middle class,India in particular is expected to be a bright spot for e-scooters in the coming years,the study found.
