Electric bike sales fail to spark in 2024

Electric motorcycle sales in Australian were dismal throughout 2024, if the latest Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) report is anything to go by. 

According to the FCAI, only 429 new electric two-wheelers were delivered to customers in 2024, accounting for just 0.45 per cent of the total market in Australia. 

In contrast, the FCAI reports a total of 94,224 new motorcycles were sold in in 2024, including 41,178 off-road bikes and 34,266 road bikes. There were 14,028 off-highway vehicles (ATVs and UTVs) sold, and 4752 scooters sold. 

However, not every motorcycle brand is included in the FCAI data. Only paying members of the FCAI are obligated to supply their sales data, meaning the report does not show the whole picture. 

One major EV motorcycle brand that isn’t included in the FCAI data is Zero. The US-born electric pioneer returned to the Australian market in 2023 with the support of Peter Stevens. And, while it admits the market is “slow”, the brand is remaining stoic about the prospects of electric in Australia. 

“EV bikes are and were slow in 2024,” said Zero Australia’s Tom Reynolds. “But let’s not forget it was a pretty down year for all brands and bikes. EV bikes are still pretty much a sunrise industry in Australia and it will take a while to get momentum. We saw this in the EV four-wheel industry.”

Zero sees itself as something of an advocate for electric motorcycles in Australia, and is hoping other brands will start to play more of a role in EV motorcycle growth.  

“We genuinely hope we see some competitors and some new entrants into the market in 2025 assist Zero in doing the heavy lifting for the whole of the EV motorcycle market,” said Reynolds.

Despite Zero’s positive outlook, the lack of interest in electric is concerning given the energy that manufacturers are putting into creating environmentally friendly solutions.

A lack of charging infrastructure and high price tags appear to be the biggest barriers for Australian riders, however nostalgia for internal combustion engines is a factor too. 

But the good news for Aussie punters is that electric technology is improving by the minute, charging infrastructure is growing, and prices are dropping. And while high-performance and touring-focused electric bikes are still unrealistic in the eyes of many, there is plenty of opportunity for makers of small commuters and scooters. This particular point has inspired Royal Enfield to release its first electric two-wheeler in 2026.

"Bigger doesn’t work, but we saw that scooters in some markets are working,” said Royal Enfield boss, Siddhartha Lal at EICMA 2024. “So, can we do a step or two above? That gives the same convenience, but with a lot more character and form factor."

And Lal believes the switch to electric globally is inevitable.

"The writing is on the wall. It is inevitable. It’s on the cards, right? There are markets around the world that are planning to switch (to electric) or have started the switching process. So, that is moving in front of us. It is an existential question for all of us.”