Two-wheel electric vehicles including scooters, motorcycles, and bicycles are a very popular mode of transport in China, India, and most Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, due to their fuel efficiency and ease of use in congested traffic.
The growth of the overall market for these vehicles within Asia Pacific is also leading to strong expansion of the electric two-wheel vehicle industry in the region, with adoption being driven by rapid urbanization and increasing household incomes.
Annual sales of electric two-wheel vehicles (scooters, motorcycles, and bicycles) will reach 65.5 million units in the Asia Pacific region by 2018, resulting in a cumulative total of almost 382 million sales from 2012 to 2018, according to a new report from Pike Research.
”The total cost of ownership of e-motorcycles and e-scooters remains low enough that consumers can see payback on the vehicle with a year or two of purchase. That means the market for electric two-wheel vehicles is likely to remain strong in regions with high economic growth rates,” says senior analyst Andy Bae.
In Asia Pacific, two main technologies are used in the e-motorcycle and e-scooter markets: lead-acid and lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries. Lead-acid batteries will continue to be the primary technology used in the Asia Pacific electric two-wheel vehicle markets, particularly China, while Li-ion batteries will account for a smaller (but growing) share of the technology used in e-scooters and e-motorcycles.
In contrast, Japan will show a far different rate of adoption of Li-ion batteries in both e-scooters and e-motorcycle, since there is a high level of consumer expectation for the quality and durability of battery performance. The percentage of e-scooters with Li-ion batteries in Japan will reach 37% in 2018, while the percentage used in e-motorcycles will reach 100% by 2015.
In Asia Pacific overall, the use of Li-ion batteries in e-scooters and e-motorcycles is expected to grow at CAGRs of 10.4% and 11.3%, respectively, between 2012 and 2018.
[source: Pike Research]
