Italians buy more bikes than cars for the first time since WWII

[wtmusic]

"In the midst of economic turmoil in Europe, more Italians are turning to bikes as their preferred mode of transportation. Such is the bicycle's popularity in Italy that purchases of the pedal-powered two wheelers have eclipsed automobile sales for the first time since World War II.

According to The Christian Science Monitor, last year 1.75 million bikes were sold in Italy, compared to 1.748 million motor vehicles. Contributing to this trend are rising fuel prices and hefty costs associated with keeping a car on the road. Gas prices recently hit €2 a liter ($9.50 a gallon), and the average cost of ownership is estimated at around €7,0000 ($9,000) a year.

There is also the sheer congestion associated with driving in many parts of Italy. Narrow roads and a high level of automobile ownership (6 in 10 own cars, one of the highest rates in the world), have made for cramped streets in many Italian cities. The author of the report notes that a several-mile journey in the heart of Rome is quicker by bike than taxi."

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/04/italians-buy-more-bikes-than-cars-for-the-first-time-since-wwii/

[longship]

1. Haven't the Danes and the Dutch been doing this forever?

Just from anecdotal evidence.

[Skittles]

2. I can see why the guys would want to go biking

[Javaman]

3. Mama Mia!

there's a bicycle in that photo?

[happyslug]

4. Took me a few minutes to find it....

I had other things that caught my eye.

[AverageJoe90]

5. Such as the absolutely lovely Signora Bellucci? nt

[happyslug]

6. In the 1990s I read an article that stated that sales of under 500 cc cars was expanding in Italy

I forget the limit, but an under-powered small car could be driven by a person as young as 14. I believed the limit was 500 cc (I could be wrong) but they pointed out the regulations difference between driving "regular" cars and such small cars. Bicycles are hitting this sector of the car market more then larger cars, and effect is working its way up, i.e. Subcompact buyers buying such micro cars, the Compact cars buying subcompacts etc. AND that more people are keeping their cars longer (i.e. NOT trading them in for newer models). This is a bigger switch then it appears on the surface, it reflects a change in trends, which for the Auto Market important then the actual sales.

Car MADE In Italy have been dropping over the last THREE years (since 2008) and has NOT reversed as it should have by now.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry_in_Italy


This may be tied in with Italy having problems with staying with the Euro, Italy recently raised Gasoline taxes to raise revenue:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/25/uk-italy-cars-idUSLNE88O01J20120925

Another Article on Italian turning to bicycles:
http://italychronicles.com/italians-turn-horsepower-pedal-power/

The drop in Car Sales is NOT limited to Italy (Spain and France has seen a similar drop in Sales):
http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121001/ANE/121009998/car-sales-fall-in-austerity-hit-france-italy-spain

In August, sales were bad, "German sales fell 4.7 percent to 226,500 registrations in August, preliminary data from the VDIK importers association showed on Tuesday, while sales in France tumbled 11 percent to 96,115 cars for a tenth monthly decline, the CCFA industry association said."

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20120904/ANE/120909990#ixzz28rnzylFn

While bicycle sales in Europe exceeded 20 Million units in 2011 (a slight drop from 2010, which had a slight increase from 2009):
http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/downloads/article/European%20Bicycle%20Market%20%26%20Industry%20Profile%20-%20Edition%202012.pdf

4 Million Bicycles were sold in Germany in 2011, 3,2 Million in France, 3.56 Million in Great Britain, 1.75 Million in Italy, 1.17 million in the Netherlands (the rest of Europe are lower, in both Bicycle sales and car sales).

This relates to the overall drop in Automotive sales throughout Europe:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/business/global/europes-auto-industry-has-reached-day-of-reckoning.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2012/06/28/why-the-european-car-market-is-headed-for-a-meltdown/

If you look at the graphs above, you notice an increase in sales in 2009, that was due to the Cash for Clunker programs that Europe started before the US's Cash for Clunkers. Ever since that program sales has dropped (And Europe has restarted its Cash for Clunkers program).


European Automotive Market statistics:
http://www.theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/Pocketbook_LowRes_withNotes-1.pdf

http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120904/ANE/120909990/august-car-sales-drop-in-key-european-markets