{"id":593236,"date":"2026-04-08T10:52:14","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T10:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/593236\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T10:52:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T10:52:14","slug":"australia-e-bike-sales-surge-as-australia-petrol-price-rises-bite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/593236\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia e-bike sales surge as Australia petrol price rises bite"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Daniel Lo Surdo\" data-testid=\"author-avatar-image\" height=\"64\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/4da17769eb0998efdaa4742a9c9d5dc6f815d051.png\"  width=\"64\" class=\"sc-9a01536c-0 libeSR\"\/>Save<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-d1b14060-4 JmUoF\">You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n<p>Remove items from your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/goodfood\/saved\" class=\"sc-3f16ee48-12 sc-d1b14060-2 jyLmZI iQLtAb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-369d9219-1 bOiPYX\">Save this article for later<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-369d9219-2 bufJxo\">Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime.<\/p>\n<p>Got it<\/p>\n<p>AAA<\/p>\n<p>An increasing number of Australians are opting for electric solutions to the fuel crisis, as e-bike sellers report a surge in trade while drivers are slugged at the bowser.<\/p>\n<p>Unprecedented fuel insecurity driven by war in the Middle East has prompted a \u201cmassive\u201d surge in e-bike interest, according to Bicycle Industries Australia general manager Peter Bourke, leading individual and family users to search for alternative transport modes as the conflict drags into its sixth week.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Conrad Pattinson has seen an uptick in e-bike sales as war in the Middle East drags on.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/64a51d9512d1d15a2a697c508bbaf5c669d9583d.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ldCIuB\"\/>Conrad Pattinson has seen an uptick in e-bike sales as war in the Middle East drags on.Louise Kennerley<\/p>\n<p>Conrad Pattinson, co-founder of Vamos Electric Bikes in Marrickville, noticed e-bike sales steadily rise over the course of the conflict, as customers homed in on a purchase while petrol prices skyrocketed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve definitely copped a surge in demand,\u201d said Pattinson, who found March sales were the best all year but not yet reaching the boom trade during COVID.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re moving more of the bikes that are better for carrying families &#8230; those bikes have been going up in sales since the price of petrol rose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lime bike usage in Sydney\u2019s CBD, eastern suburbs and inner west saw a 10 per cent week-on-week increase across the first fortnight in March. Asia Pacific Head Will Peters found the rental e-bikes made a \u201creal difference\u201d for those looking for an affordable and accessible mode of transport.<\/p>\n<p>Trek Bicycles Sydney sales lead Edreece Derwash observed an \u201cinteresting\u201d rise in demand for e-bikes in the past month, though noted customers were also incentivised by a sale that ran as fuel pressures intensified.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A prolonged period of high petrol prices has been forecast. \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/7718ccbc1876a61aad32e75d91d8534480a01de1.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ldCIuB\"\/>A prolonged period of high petrol prices has been forecast. Max Mason-Hubers<\/p>\n<p>Bourke said sales accelerated as it became clear price shocks spurred by Iran\u2019s closure of the Strait of Hormuz would remain beyond the short term.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt took a few weeks for people to understand the price rise wasn\u2019t going to be a one- or two-week thing,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s when shops began to see a lot more foot traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Related Article<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/business\/markets\/australia-s-high-petrol-prices-face-long-recovery-to-pre-war-levels-20260331-p5zkcy.html\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Experts warn it could be some time before Australians see pre-war fuel prices of less than $1.80 for regular unleaded again.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773630612_301_5f56901a575f8173b5ab7748d195966973448a51.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ioInpc\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>One such retailer is bike store 99 Bikes South Melbourne, where e-bike sales have roughly quadrupled in recent weeks, manager Jake Shaw said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen (petrol) prices hit $2.50 (per litre), instantly we had a jump in sales,\u201d Shaw said.<\/p>\n<p>The <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/nsw\/it-s-just-insane-doctors-lawyers-back-green-slips-for-e-bikes-20251230-p5nqqp.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">proliferation of high-powered e-bikes<\/a> has heaped pressure on governments to crack down on <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/nsw\/chaos-as-dozens-of-e-bike-riders-descend-on-sydney-harbour-bridge-20260204-p5nzeh.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">mass rideouts<\/a> staged by young riders. The NSW government will ban <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/nsw\/twelve-or-16-extent-of-age-limit-for-e-bike-riders-under-scrutiny-20260220-p5o3zh.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">children as old as 16 from e-bikes<\/a>, and has joined Victoria in pushing for a national e-bike safety standards.<\/p>\n<p>Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Wednesday that he expects fuel imports to remain stable \u201cwell into\u201d next month, as the Albanese government offers <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/politics\/federal\/ready-for-what-may-come-australia-to-scour-the-globe-for-extra-fuel-20260328-p5zjhj.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">financial support for private companies<\/a> to boost fuel imports and <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/politics\/federal\/australia-s-abundant-gas-supply-a-bargaining-chip-in-china-japan-talks-on-fuel-20260323-p5rnyb.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">seeks agreements with Asian nations<\/a> to preserve fuel supply contracts.<\/p>\n<p>The 32\u00a2 a litre fuel saving delivered by the federal, state and territory governments has provided some relief at the pump, where prices have eased in the past week. The average price of regular unleaded was $2.25 a litre in NSW on Wednesday, down 26\u00a2 from last week.<\/p>\n<p>About 3 per cent of Australian service stations remain without diesel on Wednesday. There are 124 retailers in NSW without diesel, while 27 have no fuel at all.<\/p>\n<p>Australia\u2019s fuel industry has warned motorists of a prolonged period of high petrol prices.<\/p>\n<p>With AAP<\/p>\n<p>Save<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-d1b14060-4 JmUoF\">You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n<p>Remove items from your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/goodfood\/saved\" class=\"sc-3f16ee48-12 sc-d1b14060-2 jyLmZI iQLtAb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Daniel Lo Surdo\" data-testid=\"author-avatar-image\" height=\"40\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768921155_20_4da17769eb0998efdaa4742a9c9d5dc6f815d051.png\"  width=\"40\" class=\"sc-9a01536c-0 libeSR\"\/><a class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm sc-b5b9fd03-2 jcGta-D\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/by\/daniel-lo-surdo-p537k5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Daniel Lo Surdo<\/a> is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously helmed the national news live blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via <a class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm sc-b5b9fd03-5 czsZcI\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/nsw\/mailto:daniel.losurdo@nine.com.au\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":593237,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":{"0":"post-593236","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-australia","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=593236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/593237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=593236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=593236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=593236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}