It's no secret: leaders and laggards among traditional bike manufacturers have begun to feel the ground shift under their feet, as the market for electric bikes grows larger and larger in the rearview mirror. E-bikes, part of the overall global e-mobility trend, are nipping at the heels of all bike manufacturers. In 2020, the global e-bike market climbed to 25 billion U.S. dollars. More importantly, the e-bike market is projected to climb at a CAGR of just under 10 percent between 2021 and 2028, reaching nearly $50 billion.

Credit the coronavirus pandemic, which has ignited bike sales across the globe, but none so much as e-bikes. According to NPD, regular bikes grew 67 percent and e-bikes 158 percent, without including online-only retailers. "Fleet" sales are up as cities like Nashville, Tennessee and Madison, Wisconsin replace their fleets entirely with e-bikes due to their popularity. In addition, studies by the Active Travel Academy at the University of Westminster revealed that deliveries made by cargo e-bikes are 60% faster than delivery vans.

MV Agusta, the acclaimed Italian motorcycle company, is in its second year of e-bike production. The company's AMO series met with applause last year. The new EVO slated for introduction at the 2021 EICMA in Milan is expected to meet with similar enthusiasm from dealers and consumers alike.

"Among the trade, we are known for our enviable collaboration between engineers, designers, and production; for our ability to transform our ideas into the finest products on two wheels," says Ratmir Sardarov, Head of E-Mobility at MV Agusta. "In the expanding world of e-mobility, all things are possible, but for MV Agusta, they must be developed and executed in a fashion that is consistent with our legacy. We don't want numbers for the sake of numbers; our goal is to create a new community of e-mobility customers who share our love of Italian design and gravitate to the intrinsic qualities that are MV Agusta."

In terms of design philosophy, the MV Agusta is constantly pursuing excellence in every single detail of its creative activity. The company has vigorously fought to steer its brand away from the compromise associated with mass production. Instead, the company has built up an internal team like none other in the world, of unrivaled flexibility, efficiency, and technological creativity, making it fully capable of independently designing, developing, and industrializing new projects.

"The industrial processes of all MV Agusta e-bike products are carried out thanks to the experience and craftsmanship of highly specialized personnel, to create a product that meets the quality standards MV Agusta requires,” says Ampelio Macchi, COO e-mobility. "Due to its exclusive design and style, attention to detail is fundamental, and for this reason, ‘islands’ of pre-assembly of subassemblies have been created, ready for final assembly in compliance with the high-quality indexes set internally. In fact, we have built many of our manufacturing tools in-house, specific equipment for our e-bike products, in a factory dedicated entirely to production and research & development in the field of e-mobility."

While the design philosophy – the DNA – of MV Agusta is intrinsic across all products, motorcycles, and ebikes, the design relationship tends to differ.

“E-mobility is an entirely new product for the company, and in developing it, we drew on what the company demonstrates and values in motorcycles, said Design Director Maksim Ponomarev. "Of course, urban mobility products are completely different from motorcycles, so our team is developing a 'family style' concept, and it is a fascinating process.

"From a design point of view, even drawing them has to be approached differently. Unlike with a motorcycle, you can interact with a bicycle in a more contextual way, which is to take it into the office, fill the space of an apartment with it, or take it out for a spin. This is very important, especially when designing the product from the foundation up."

What's in store for MV Agusta in 2022 and beyond? Whatever the answer may be, you can rest assured it will stem from the summation of design and engineering, not the din of metal stamping production lines.