Rad Power Bikes gives up on European e-bike market, focuses on US instead

After half a decade of operations in Europe, Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes is closing down its EU operations this year. The company cited its intention to refocus on the North American market.

The company has been selling its models in Europe since 2018, when its EU launch marked the entry of widely affordable electric bikes into the market.

At the time, the RadWagon’s European entry was described as the “first high-powered longtail cargo e-bike to be available in the European market.” The RadRover, which was launched as the RadRhino in Europe, also helped boost the popularity of fat tire adventure-style e-bikes in the market, similarly to the American model’s effect in the US market several years earlier.

The streets of Amsterdam and other European cities are full of RadRunners and other e-bikes from Rad Power Bikes, which I’ve personally seen zipping around on several of my recent EU trips.

But all of that is about to change as Rad Power Bikes announces that it is pulling the plug on its European operations.

Rad Power Bikes is expected to layoff its several dozen employees and cease European sales by 2024, instead preferring to focus entirely on the North American market.

As Rad Power Bikes CEO Phil Molyneux explained:

“This change really allows us to continue to set the standard for the e-bike revolution in North America, which as you know, that was our starting place. And to continue to have a real laser focus on safety, reliability, continued innovation, going into the future and the aspiration of delivering the highest quality products at affordable prices for our customers.”

The move comes after Rad started the year with a letter from Molyneux explaining that the company had “made mistakes” and promising a recommitment to safety and support for its customers.

Rad has suffered several setbacks in the past two years, including facing multiple lawsuits and several rounds of layoffs.

The e-bike maker, long considered to be the largest in the US, may also be witnessing its title slip away as rapidly growing Lectric Ebikes continues to boost its sales. Neither company shares its sales figures publicly, but industry data suggests that Lectric’s sales may rival or have even surpassed that of Rad’s.

Two areas where Rad Power Bikes maintains a commanding lead is in the size of its customer service team as well as the breadth of its accessory lineup. As the company refocuses its efforts entirely on the North American market, both areas could become key linchpins in its strategy.