The economic laws around pricing are fairly cut and dried. Broadly speaking, lower pricing will increase demand for a product. So it’s perhaps no surprise that the recent plunge in electric two-wheeler sales has led to some price cuts. Some of the biggest names in battery-powered bikes are slashing prices, right at the start of the season, in a bid to improve sales figures.
First up is Zero, which is offering an up-to-£3500 rebate as part of its ‘bringing back the grant’ campaign. The scheme aims to fill the gaps left by the end of the UK government’s plug-in grant last year and gives a 20% rebate on the purchase price of a new 2023 Zero bike. “We were very disappointed when the government withdrew the Plug-In Electric Vehicle grant last year,” said Dale Robinson, Zero’s UK country manager. “And there’s no doubt that it has had an adverse effect on the adoption of electric motorcycles over the past 12 months. The UK is not the only country to have been affected by this kind of legislative change, which seems at odds with the drive for Net Zero, so as a company, we’ve taken the opportunity to look at ways in which we can make our all-electric motorcycles more accessible, and to step up where governments have stepped back.”
At the other end of the price bracket is Super Soco, which has long been the top UK seller of electric bikes. It’s restructuring its pricing as part of a new direct distribution arrangement, with a hefty £700 off all of its new 2023 models. That means the entry-level CU Mini paddock/campsite scooter is just £999, while the top-end CPX Double battery 125cc-equivalent 5bhp/80-mile range scooter is now £4299.
Finally, the Segway brand is knocking £300 off its range of lightweight electric scooters in May and June. That’s in addition to the UK government’s OLEV grant and takes the price of the B110S to £1799.
Will these deals get more bums on battery-powered seats? Our old economics lecturer would say yes, definitely. But more cynical observers out there will be waiting to see how the registration figures look in a few months’ time.