E-Bikes: "There was too much greed in the industry": How Rotwild wants to sell 10,000 premium e-bikes per year
The high-end e-bike manufacturer was hit hard by the crisis in the bicycle market. Why that is not entirely bad, explains Rotwild founder Peter Schlitt in an interview.
Munich – The premium e-bike manufacturer Rotwild has not been immune to the crisis within the bicycle industry, according to their founder Peter Schlitt. While other companies expanded their capacities during the pandemic boom, Rotwild cautiously planned to maintain exclusivity. However, the premium brand eventually faced the consequences of overcapacity and price pressure.
In 2024, Rotwild's sales, which peaked at around 34 million euros, dropped to 20 million euros. Although sales slightly improved last year, the brand's main battery supplier declared bankruptcy this year, leaving Rotwild without deliveries. Schlitt expressed that "it has also heavily impacted us." The entrepreneur, however, believes the crisis has provided a purifying effect on the industry, stating that "it's going back to the roots" as financial investors and unaffiliated managers have taken over in the boom. Schlitt told Handelsblatt, "There was too much greed in the industry."
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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