BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The e-bike is booming: According to a survey, one in four adults in Germany owns an electric bike. This is a new high, according to a survey published on Thursday by energy supplier Eon. According to the survey, the prevalence of e-bikes is at 24.7 percent - in 2020 it was still at 15.2 percent.

Younger generation also increasingly using electric bikes

The proportion of e-bike owners is currently rising rapidly, particularly among the younger generation of 18 to 29-year-olds: according to the survey, this figure was 13.8% in 2023 and 17.5% this year. Overall, however, electric bikes are still more common among older generations. Over 27% of over 50-year-olds own such a bike.

Lower Saxony in particular stands out with a high e-bike rate, with almost a third (32.6%) of citizens there owning a pedelec. This is followed by Baden-Württemberg (27.4 percent) and Bavaria (26.4 percent), according to the survey.

Sustainability also a reason for many

According to the survey, 21.5% of buyers also opted for an e-bike for reasons of sustainability. 40.7 percent stated that they charge their bike at home using green electricity. There is also interest in riding an e-bike on vacation. A quarter of those surveyed could imagine a multi-day cycling trip with electric support. According to the survey, 6.8 percent use it for their commute to work.

For the survey, the opinion research company Civey interviewed 30,000 people aged 18 and over in Germany online from mid-May to the beginning of June. Of the respondents, 10,000 were also asked to comment on their reasons for purchasing an e-bike./ram/DP/zb