If 2024 was challenging, 2025 has seen a further depression in the European motorcycle market. The just-released data from the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) indicates that the market for motorcycles (ICE and electric) was just above a million units, indicating a near 13% decline over 2024.
Mind you, 2024 was not a great year either. For most of the year, the European motorcycle market was struggling, with sales numbers either flat or declining. It was only because of a move to Euro 5 emission norms that saw a huge jump in sales in November and December, which pulled the overall market into the positive territory. The year ended at 1.15 million units, a growth of 9.6%.
These numbers include both ICE and electric motorcycles.
With this decline in 2025, Europe is back to the one million units per year motorcycle sales levels. Confirming this, and commenting on the current situation of the sector, Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said:
“The 2025 figures confirm the anticipated market correction following the Euro 5+ transition, with motorcycle registrations returning to just over one million units. While this represents a 12.9% decline compared to the exceptional performance of 2024, which was significantly driven by stock registrations ahead of the new emissions standard, it is important to view these results in a longer-term perspective. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, motorcycle registrations remain robust, going up by 14.7% from 2019 levels, demonstrating that the growth in consumer interest for powered two-wheelers has been consistent, including a continued shift from mopeds to motorcycles.“
The 2024 Stock Clearing
With Europe moving to Euro 5+ emission norms from Jan 1st, 2025, the last quarter of 2024 saw frantic moves to register old stock. As a result, sales in November were up 25.6% and in December up by a whopping 171.6%.
As expected, this led to a significant slump in sales between January and March 2025. It didn’t help Electrics at all, and the general sentiment stays low.
Mopeds Fare Even Worse
Things were even more depressing for mopeds. The year 2024 was already negative for them, with sales at 179,000 units, a 7% decline. In 2025, the market further declined by nearly 21% to 142,000 units.
Again, these include both ICE and electric mopeds.
Electrics Bear the Brunt at Both Ends
Looking at electric motorcycles in isolation, 2025 has seen a 4% decline in numbers with sales coming down to 27,000 units. This follows a sharp decline in 2024 sales, which were at 28,000 units, down 18.5% from 2023. Apparently, the emission norm-induced sales jump in November and December hurt electric motorcycle sales. Then the Q1 2025 slump in ICE motorcycle sales did not help electrics either.
Things weren’t brighter on the electric moped front, with the continent’s love for electric mopeds seeming to be pausing for now, with 2024 sales numbers coming in at 15% down from 2024. Sales were only 42,000 electric mopeds. In comparison, 2024 had nearly 50,000 mopeds sold. Again, that itself was an 18% decline from 2023 numbers.
Europe: The Continent with Promise?
We at InsightEV look at Europe with mixed emotions. Some months back, we did a deep dive on what plagues Europe – high costs and a stagnant/declining population.
Continental Europe is a market that is highly fragmented and stagnant, not a great playing ground for any startup trying to do something unique and creative. At the same time, Europe is the hub of innovation and history, and churns out a decent number of electric mobility startups, with most of them struggling to find their feet.
Increasingly, Europe has become a sum of two markets. There is a decidedly brand-driven top-end and a distribution and TCO-driven bottom-end. However, that TCO-driven bottom end does not seem to be moving to electric at a fast pace, as was anticipated some time back.
