During the COVID-19 pandemic, people were locked indoors for months on end. With limited gym access, many people started riding bikes to stay in shape. Going for a bike ride was also one of the few socially-distant ways to get out of the house. This trend resulted in a whopping 230% increase in electric bike sales during 2020. Many analysts expect this consumer behavior shift to continue for years to come. Due to this, investors are scrambling to find potential electric bike stocks to buy.
Unfortunately, pure electric bike stocks are a little tough to come by. Most bicycle brands are part of much larger conglomerates. Additionally, most of these companies are based in other countries. This means that their stock trades on foreign exchanges. When it comes to U.S. based electric bike companies, almost all of them are private. However, there are still a few potential electric bike stocks out there. Buying these can help you take advantage of this growing electric bike trend.
Let’s take a look at a few electric bike stocks to buy in 2022.
No. 4 Uber (NYSE: UBER)
Uber is most well-known for essentially creating the ridesharing business. In fact, it’s one of the few companies in the world that has turned into a verb. However, Uber’s core business is shockingly unprofitable at times. In Q1 2022, it reported net income of -$5.93 billion, but it has also had some profitable quarters as recently as Q4 2021. Tough competition and political pushback have forced Uber to search for other revenue opportunities. So far, it’s had success with its Uber Eats delivery service. Now, Uber may be thinking about expanding its bike business as well.
Uber classifies as an electric bike stock because it already offers electric bike rentals. Previously, it owned Jump Bikes. However, it has since taken a 31% ownership stake in Lime. In the short term, it plans to transfer its bike division to Lime. From there, the two companies will integrate their apps together.
Moving forward, it is expected that a Lime IPO is coming in 2022 . This would be a good stock to look out for in the future if you want to invest in a more pure electric bike stock.
However, this electric bike stock is down almost 50% so far in 2022. It’s also down about the same since going public in 2019.
No. 3 Lyft (Nasdaq: LYFT)
When it comes to ridesharing, Uber definitely has Lyft beat. However, Lyft might actually be the preferable electric bike stock. Lyft’s bike-sharing business is fairly young but is expanding rapidly. Currently, you can find Lyft bikes in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Columbus, Denver, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Portland.
Lyft has expanded its program so rapidly by partnering with existing bike-sharing companies. A few of its partnerships include Citi Bike, Ford GoBike, Divvy, and Bluebikes. In San Francisco, Lyft has taken its electric bike business one step further. In June 2021, it launched its own line of electric bikes that integrate with the city’s public transportation card, Clipper. This means that SF citizens can use the same metro card for trains, buses, and (now) Lyft bikes.
Ridesharing companies are known for butting heads with the government. In the past, Uber and Lyft have tended to act first and ask questions later. This brashness generally creates a bit of tension between the companies, city governments, and citizens. However, this new partnership is a sign of maturity for Lyft. If it is successful, it could help Lyft build credibility to launch similar programs in other cities.
Lyft’s stock is down 66% so far in 2022. It’s also down 81% since its IPO in 2019.
No. 2 Bird (NYSE: BRDS)
This electric bike stock went public in late 2021. In fact, many people might not even be aware that Bird is now a publicly-traded company. If you’re not familiar, Bird is best known for its electric scooter ridesharing business. Bird has also pioneered the phrase “micro-mobility”. Its mission is to encourage clean, car-free travel alternatives. To do this, it operates electric scooter fleets in 350 cities around the globe. Now, it’s looking to expand its business even further.
There are two reasons that Bird can be considered an electric bike stock. First, it offers an electric bike for sale on its website. TheBirdBikesells for $2,299. Second, it offers Bird Bikeshare. This is Bird’s brand new electric bike-sharing business that appears similar to what Uber and Lyft offer. The service was rolled out in Austin, Los Angeles, San Antonio and Milwaukee. It uses local bikeshare providers that were already in place, but allows you to book them through the Bird app. This will be an interesting electric bike stock to watch as the service is rolled out in more cities.
Bird’s stock is down around 90% in 2022.
Electric Bike Stocks No. 1 Harley Davidson (NYSE: HOG)
This final electric bike stock might be a little bit of a surprise. This is because Harley Davidson is one of the largest producers of gasoline-powered motorcycles. However, this motorcycle company just recently launched LiveWire, an all-electric motorcycle. Technically, this classifies Harley Davidson as an electric bike stock.
Please note that Harley Davidson plans to spinoff LiveWire into its own company. This will make LiveWire the first publicly-traded electric motorcycle company in the United States. It is being spun off to allow Harley Davidson the space to rework its core business without the pressure of launching a new product.
LiveWire will still be majority owned by Harley Davidson, but it will have its own ticker on the NYSE. It is expected LiveWire will go public in 2022 via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). If you plan on investing, keep an eye out for more news about LiveWire stock.
Currently, Harley Davidson forecasts sales of over 100,000 electric bikes generating. This should generate revenue of $1.77 billion in 2026. By 2030, it expects to sell about 190,000 EVs. This should generate $3 billion in revenue.
Always pay attention to cult brands
There is one reason that Harley Davidson could become a top electric bike stock to buy. This is because of the strength of its brand. This company has been around for over 100 years and has a cult following. It is considered one of the top motorcycle companies in the world. It is also one of a few brands that you regularly see tattooed on people’s bodies. However, over the past few years, it has fallen on tough times.
Harley Davidson is a huge producer of gas-guzzling motorcycles. This traditional model has not done much to attract younger, more eco-friendly buyers. As its core demographic keeps aging, sales have slowed. A transition to electric motorcycles could be just what it needs to appeal to younger riders. If LiveWire is a success, don’t be surprised if Harley Davidson becomes relevant again.
Harley Davidson’s stock is down 19% so far in 2022. It’s also down around 45% over the past five years.
I hope that you’ve found this article valuable when it comes to learning a few of the best electric bike stocks to buy. Please base all investment decisions on your own due diligence and risk tolerance.
A University of Miami grad, Teddy studied marketing and finance while also playing four years on the football team. He’s always had a passion for business and used his experience from a few personal projects to become one of the top-rated business writers on Fiverr.com. When he’s not hammering words onto paper, you can find him hammering notes on the piano or traveling to some place random.
