Jaume Canals, General Director of Light Mobility Cluster, the association of companies representing the electric motorcycle sector, talks about the current situation of the segment.
In a week where the Spanish electric mobility sector is eager for updates on the Perte Vec (Special Vehicle Projects) initiative, the specialist engages in a dialogue with Mobility Portal.
He states that there is an increasing demand for new lightweight mobility solutions.
At the same time, he emphasizes the need to support domestic production, which boasts a thriving ecosystem of companies.
“It can’t be that for this demand, we have to import Asian products, given that we have national talent and great know-how,” he laments.
He asserts that companies in the sector have been offering high-quality products and services for many years.
In this context, he highlights manufacturers like Ray, Pursang, Torrot, and other national companies that design and produce their products in the country.
Another example he provides is Rieju, which not only manufactures its own models but also produces for other brands in its Catalonia plant.
Electric motorcycle registrations
In the first four months of the year, there was a 29% decrease in electric motorcycle registrations compared to the same period last year.
Despite this, the representative of Light Mobility Cluster assures that the trend is growing at the user level.
He believes that the data must be interpreted carefully.
In this regard, he explains that the majority of electric vehicles are linked to sharing and delivery fleets.
As a result, when fleet deliveries take place, registrations increase in that month.
Canals believes that the public sector should boost the electric market with direct incentives for end customers.
“Otherwise, it’s very difficult for them to have a real impact and boost immediate sales,” he opines.
In this context, he shares that, in terms of sales to end customers, the Moves Plan has not generated significant changes.
He analyzes that the country lacks “clear and applicable legislation.”
As well as an infrastructure that considers sustainable business models within lightweight mobility.
“We need to promote its development and growth as a positive point, not a prohibited one, as would be the case for the use of scooters or PMVs,” he emphasizes.
According to the representative of the two-wheeler sector, there are no European Union countries that stand out for achieving high penetration in the segment.
However, he points out that the Netherlands has specific regulations allowing mopeds to circulate at 25 km/h, “where they have certain advantages.”
Technology in electric motorcycles
Regarding whether the technological development of the electric motorcycle sector meets the users’ needs, he believes that there is room for improvement.
“Especially in terms of autonomy,” he asserts.
But he adds: “We need to raise awareness among end customers that they don’t necessarily need extensive range for their daily commutes, especially in cities.” electric motorcycles
The segments that work best are those related to short urban trips.
In relation to charging points, the specialist points out that the situation is “very poor.”
“We need many more charging points designed for lightweight vehicles,” he emphasizes.
Light Mobility Cluster, formerly known as Clustermoto, expanded its representation from solely motorcycles to all vehicles in the lightweight mobility sector.
During this process, the association doubled the number of members and included companies linked to innovation and technology.
The cluster prioritizes projects related to innovation in electric mobility, sustainable mobility, infrastructure, connectivity, and last-mile solutions.
