This fall, prompted by an earlier news story on bicycles outselling cars in Spain, National Public Radio analyzed data and reported on bicycle and car sales in the European Union’s member states. What it found was that bicycle sales exceeded new car sales in 2012 in all of the analyzed countries except Belgium and Luxembourg. According to NPR’s article, it was the first year since World War II that bicycle sales outpaced car sales in Italy. The countries with the greatest number of bicycle sales were Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and Spain. The greatest difference in sales between bicycles and cars was found in Lithuania, Greece, Romania, Slovenia, and Hungary. For example, in Lithuania 115,000 bicycles were sold in 2012 compared to 12,000 passenger cars sold. According to the article, the sales differences can be attributed to a general decline in car sales across Europe that occurred along with the worldwide recession. Early 2013 marked a 20-year low in car sales on the continent.
Is something similar happening in the United States? Not yet. In fact, in September 2013, car sales reached pre-recession levels. But the article cites a different problem for the U.S. automobile industry: younger drivers are buying fewer cars, while bicycle sales remain consistent. According to a 2012 article by Motortrend, Generation Y has less interest in owning a car than prior generations. This is due, in large part, to the effect of the Great Recession, which suppressed the ability of younger workers to find good paying jobs. And the article states further that these young people will not necessarily purchase a motor vehicle once the economy improves.
