The economic importance of motorcycles in Europe

A research by Oxford Economics highlights the economic and mobility benefits of two-wheelers in Europe.

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The safe ride to the future 2.0

The motorcycle industry’s commitment to road safety. This document showcases some of the industry’s most important initiatives in the area of motorcycle safety.

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Motorcycle training

The European Motorcycle Training Quality Label is a scheme that helps motorcyclists to clearly and easily identify the best post-license training programmes in Europe

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Competitiveness

ACEM members support a European stable regulatory framework that fosters growth, jobs and investment in the L-category industry

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Urban Mobility

L-category vehicles save time and money for commuters, increase urban traffic fluidity and reduce congestion

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Environment

L-category vehicles sold in the EU comply with strict pollutant emission limits. Also, they have a limited environmental impact

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International trade

Together with a more vibrant domestic market, exports will help the industry to grow and to create new jobs in the EU

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Road safety

The industry has achieved high safety levels for existing products and continues to bring advanced and innovative vehicles to the market

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ACEM news
ACEM President: “We urgently need clarity from the EC regarding the implementation of Euro 5”.
25 Jan 2018

The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, ACEM, hosted today its 13th annual conference in Brussels. The event, titled ‘Sustainable motorcycling in Europe, attracted more than 250 attendees from all over Europe, including businesses, representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States, NGOs and other organisations. The discussions addressed the role of the motorcycle industry in the sustainability of transport in Europe.

Stefan Pierer, CEO of the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM and current President of ACEM said: “Our industry is committed to sustainability, which we understand as a complex process related to environmental performance of vehicles, road safety and economic viability of our operations”.

“Since 1999, our sector moved from the Euro 0 to the Euro 4 standard. Carbon monoxide emissions were reduced by 91%. Nitrogen oxide and carbon emissions considered together went down by 92%. Even more, this reduction in limit values took place at the same time that new and more stringent testing procedures were introduced in European legislation”.

“In the coming months, we will start working on the implementation of the future Euro 5 environmental standard. However, manufacturing vehicles requires complex planning and we urgently need clarity from the European Commission regarding the technical content and implementation timeline of Euro 5”.

Antti Peltomäki (Finnish), Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for internal market and industry (DG GROW) said: “The motorcycle industry is undergoing similar structural changes to the ones we see in other European industries. In our recent industrial policy communication we looked into how Europe’s industrial sector can become smarter, cleaner, more sustainable and, at the same time, gain a competitive edge. We must remember that road transport still represents about 25% of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions”.

Bernd Lange (German), member of the European Parliament: “For the urban side, we may see an increase in electrification. On the leisure side, however, the picture is different. Lots of motorcyclists like the idea of having vehicles with conventional engines. Here we need to guarantee that leisure motorcycles have the same emissions limits as cars”.

In his concluding remarks, ACEM Secretary General Antonio Perlot said:

“Motorcycles are part of today’s mobility and will continue to be so in the future. They are an answer to the mobility needs of people, particularly in urban settings, as shown by the fact that today there are about 35 million mopeds and motorcycles on Europe’s roads”.

“Regarding the future Euro 5 step it is essential that policy-makers create a clear and predictable legislative framework for the industry to plan its manufacturing operations”.

The motorcycle sector, for its part, has a forward-looking vision and will continue to invest in R&D and new and advanced safety technologies. We will also work with our counterparts with in EU institutions to secure further improvements in areas such as transport emissions and road safety”.

The European motorcycle and mopeds markets in 2017

ACEM also presented the provisional statistics for the motorcycle industry in 2017. The latest figures showed that a total of 931,445 motorcycles were registered last year. This represents a decline of 9.5% compared to 2016 registration levels. The largest motorcycle markets in Europe in 2017 were: Italy (204,579 units), France (162,828 units) and Germany (140,667 motorcycles).

On the other hand, the electric motorcycle market grew from 3,496 units in 2016 to 4,121 units in 2017 (+20.4%). However, it still remains at niche levels. Only 0.45% of all motorcycles registered in Europe in 2017 were electric.

The European moped market went from 316,662 units in 2016 to 399,426 in 2017. This represented an increase of 26%. The largest markets for mopeds in Europe were: France (107,322 units), Netherlands (86,826 units), Germany (33,254 units), Poland (29,633 units) and Italy (26,030 units).

Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said: “The slowdown in European motorcycle market is the result of the final transition to the new Euro 4 standard. A large number of Euro 3 vehicles were registered in late 2016, which explains why fewer mopeds and motorcycles are being registered in 2017. We expect the market to perform better in the coming months, thanks to the launch of the new models that will replace older pre Euro 4 vehicles. In any case, we are still below the pre-crisis levels”.

Vehicle exhibition of new technologies

During the ACEM conference several European and international brands dispayed some of their latest models and prototypes.

The members of the RESOLVE consortium (see NOTE FOR EDITORS) presented two electric prototypes of tilting four-wheelers belonging to the L2e and the L6e category. The project was funded by the EU with 6.8 million Euros from the European Horizon 2020 programme. The consortium is composed of 14 companies that are led by Italian manufacturer Piaggio. Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM also participates in this project.

The members of the Connected Motorcycle Consortium (CMC), the R&D platform to foster cooperation in research and development in the field of cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) exhibited some of their latest vehicles. The CMC, which is open to a wide range of organisations including motorcycle OEM, automotive companies, automotive part suppliers and research institutions, aims promote timely and comprehensive use of C-ITS systems offering the potential to improve safety for motorcyclists.

Press materials

Note for editors

About ACEM. The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) represents manufacturers of mopeds, motorcycles, three-wheelers and quadricycles (L-category vehicles) in Europe. ACEM members include 17 manufacturing companies and 17 national industry associations. About 156,000 jobs depend on the motorcycle, moped, tricycle and quadricycle industry in Europe. ACEM manufacturing members, which include some of the largest multinationals in the sector, are: BMW Motorrad, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), Ducati Motor holding, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, KYMCO, MV Agusta, Peugeot Scooters, PIAGGIO, Polaris Industries, Renault, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Triumph Motorcycles and Yamaha.

About RESOLVE. The RESOLVE consortium brings together 14 European companies including PIAGGIO (leader of the consortium), KTM, BOSCH, MARELLI and other organisations. The objective of the consortium is to develop affordable, energy efficient and comfortable electric vehicles ideal for daily urban commuters. To learn more about RESOLVE and see the full list of members please visit: http://www.resolve-project.eu 

Press contact

Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua. ACEM communications manager
E. 
M. +32 496 52 65 17

Image gallery

Photos of the event available here.

 

ACEM position paper - Detection of motorcycles by advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)
11 Dec 2017

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are systems developed to automate, adapt or enhance vehicle systems for safety and better driving. However, despite their many benefits, ADAS are not without risks.

A possible consequence of broad ADAS implementation may be an increase in car-motorcycle accidents, even as car accidents decrease. This may occur, for example, if drivers start depending more and more upon Level 1 and 2 ADAS and become less attentive to other vehicles around them.

Therefore, it is essential that ADAS correctly identify all road users, including motorcycles.

Documents available to download

ACEM position paper - Detection of motorcycles by advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)

Press contact

Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua. ACEM Communications manager
+32 (0) 22 30 97 32
ACEM position paper - On the development of eCall systems for L-category vehicles
11 Dec 2017

eCall devices are tertiary safety systems that can further enhance riders’ safety, beyond the preventive and active primary safety systems that are currently deployed, such as ABS, or that are currently being researched for future deployment, such as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) applications.

In 2013 the motorcycle industry joined the I_HeERO project that aims at implementing an emergency call or eCall solution to improve road safety in Europe through Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs). ACEM members participate in this project in order to develop minimum functional requirements for PTW (powered two wheeler) eCall systems and to prepare the basis for future standardization activities.

This work will enable widespread deployment of eCall systems in the future.

Documents available to download

ACEM position paper - eCall devices for L-category vehicles

Press contact

Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua. ACEM Communications manager
+32 (0) 22 30 97 32
ACEM to host conference on sustainability and motorcycling in Brussels in January 2018
05 Dec 2017

The theme of the event will be “Sustainable motorcycling in Europe” and it will address how policy-makers, civil society and the motorcycle sector can work together to promote policies that improve the sustainability of Europe’s transport system whilst protecting skilled jobs in Europe.

Some of the topics that will be discussed include:

  • Motorcycling in cities, traffic congestion and local environmental policies
  • Regulation 168/2013 on type-approval of L-category vehicles and environmental standards
  • Engine efficiency and electrification of transport
  • Pollutant emissions (HC, NOx, PM)
  • GEAR 2030 and the future of the automotive sector in Europe
  • Latest market trends

Date and venue

24 January 2018

Renaissance Hotel. 19, Rue du Parnasse, Brussels

Programme of the event

 11:00 - 11:25 Keynote speeches 
 11:30 - 13:00 Panel discussion and Q&A session
 13:00 - 14:30 Walking lunch and networking coffee. Vehicle exhibition including electric prototypes developed by the RESOLVE consortium

 

Register now (mandatory to attend the event)

Keynote speakers

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Antti Peltomäki

Deputy Director-General
DG GROW
See Bio
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Stefan Pierer

ACEM President
CEO of KTM AG
See Bio

 

Panellists

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Bernd Lange

Member of the European Parliament
See Bio
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Joanna Szychowska

European Commission
DG GROW
See Bio
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Claire Depré

European Commission
DG MOVE
See Bio
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Greg Archer

Transport and Environment
Director for clean vehicles
See Bio
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Silvio Manicardi

FIM Europe
Second Deputy President
See Bio
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Erwin Segers

ACEM - Technical
affairs committee
See Bio
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Antonio Perlot

ACEM
Secretary General
See Bio

 

Press contact

Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua. ACEM Communications manager
+32 (0) 22 30 97 32
Industry experts and policy makers discuss the future of connected motorcycling at ITS World Congress
01 Nov 2017

On 1 November 2017 experts from the motorcycle industry, the European Commission, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other organisations met at the ITS World Congress in Montreal, Canada, to discuss the future of intelligent transport systems and motorcycling. The discussions took place during the ‘Motorcycle talk ITS’ roundtable moderated by the Secretary General of the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM), Antonio Perlot. The participants examined some of the most important initiatives in the field of connected vehicles as well as as the challenges and opportunities offered by cooperative ITS.

Commenting on the future of technology, Hennes Fischer, senior advisor to Yamaha Motor Europe and member of the Connected Motorcycle Consortium, said: “Vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems will have a considerable effect on motorcycle safety. Technologies such as ‘motorcycle approach indication and warning’ will enhance the digital conspicuity of motorcyclists and reduce the probability of accidents, such as those that happen at intersections because of car drivers overlooking motorcyclists”.

Mr Fischer also explained that “Our industry is working together with other stakeholders in a large-scale European project to set the basis for an embedded eCall system for motorcycles that can operate across the European Union. This project will be completed by the end of the year and will pave the way for a future standard for eCall devices for motorcycles”. Under the European eCall Regulation, the European Commission must present a report in 2021 assessing whether the scope of this regulation should be extended to other categories of vehicles such as motorcycles and mopeds.

Matthias Mörbe, Vice-president for two-wheeler engineering solutions at Bosch, discussed whether motorcycles can be fitted with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) developed for cars. In this respect, he said that “powered-two wheelers require a dedicated approach and specific engineering solutions. Intelligent transport system applications designed specifically for cars cannot be directly transferred to motorcycles”.

John Lenkeit, Technical Director at Dynamic Research, an American company specialised in vehicle dynamics and accidentology, stressed that “ADAS for cars should be able to detect all vulnerable road users including motorcycle riders”. As a recent study released by Dynamic Research points out: “If ADAS systems are unable to correctly identify motorcycles, a possible consequence of broad ADAS implementation may be an increase in car-motorcycle accidents even as car accidents decrease”.

Stephanie Leonard, Policy officer responsible for intelligent transport systems at the European Commission said: “As we expressed in our recent GEAR2030 report, the European Commission sees connectivity and increased automation of transport as major trends that are shaping the future of European mobility. We believe that the automotive industry as a whole must embrace the upcoming revolution of digital, automated and connected driving”.

For his part, Robert Kreeb, Chief of the intelligent technologies research division at the U.S. Department of Transportation, said that: “Connectivity and increased automation hold the promise of addressing many of the major challenges facing today’s transport system, such as user safety, energy efficiency, air quality, traffic congestion, and to enhance the drivers’ comfort and convenience. In the long run, automation could have a revolutionary impact on travel behaviour, social inclusion and urban development, environment, entertainment and commerce, growth and jobs.”

Huei-Ru Tseng, Deputy Technical Manager of the Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute, said: “C-ITS technologies will give motorcyclists as digital presence, increasing their safety”. He added that ITS systems “must be specifically designed for motorcycle riders”.

In his concluding remarks, the Secretary General of the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, Antonio Perlot said: “There is no doubt that connected vehicles will play a major role in increasing transport efficiency, sustainability and mobility in Europe. Cars and motorcycles must be part of this new connected world”.

Panelists of the event

• Stephanie Leonard. Policy officer for intelligent transport systems. Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission.
• Bob Kreeb. Chief, Intelligent Technologies Research Division, U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• Huei-Ru Tseng. Deputy Technical Manager, Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute.
• Hennes Fischer. Senior Advisor to Yamaha Motor Europe / Japan. Member of the Connected Motorcycle Consortium.
• John Lenkeit. Technical Director at Dynamic Reserach Inc.
• Matthias Mörbe. Vice-president for two-wheeler and power sport engineering solutions at Robert Bosch GmbH.

About ACEM

• The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) represents manufacturers of mopeds, motorcycles, three-wheelers and quadricycles (L-category vehicles) in Europe. About 156,000 jobs depend on the L-category industry in Europe. There are about 35.3 million motorcycles and mopeds on Europe’s roads.

• ACEM members include 18 manufacturing companies: BMW Motorrad, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), Ducati Motor holding, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, KYMCO, MV Agusta, Peugeot Scooters, Piaggio, Polaris Industries, Renault, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Triumph Motorcycles and Yamaha. ACEM also represents 17 motorcycle industry associations in 14 different European countries.

About the CMC

• The CMC is an R&D platform to foster cooperation in research and development in the field of C-ITS. It is open to a wide range of organisations including motorcycle OEM, automotive companies, automotive part suppliers and research institutions. The key objective of the CMC is to promote timely and comprehensive use of C-ITS systems offering the potential to improve safety for motorcyclists.

• The CMC was created in 2016 by BMW Motorrad, Honda and Yamaha. Since then, more members have joined the consortium: Kawasaki, KTM and Suzuki (development members) as well as ACEM, the Technical University of Dresden, the Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, VUFO GmbH and the Würzburg Institute for Traffic Sciences (associate members). For more information about the CMC please visit www.cmc-info.net

Press contact

Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua. ACEM Communications Officer
  
+32 (0) 496 52 65 17

Motorcycle and moped registrations in the EU down 1.6% during the first 9 months of 2017
26 Oct 2017

Combined registrations of motorcycles and mopeds in the EU have reached 1,051,606 units during the first 9 months of 2017, representing a decrease of 1.6% compared to same period of the previous year, according to the latest figures released today by the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM).

Registrations increased in some of the largest European markets including France (206,596 units, +4.1%) and Italy (197,159 vehicles, +5.7%) but decreased in Germany (149,334 vehicles, -11.3%), Spain (120,302 vehicles, -5.8%) and the UK (85,505 vehicles, -15.7%).

Motorcycle registrations down by 5.1%

Registrations of motorcycles in the EU reached 771,327 units during the first 9 months of the year. This represents a decrease of 5.1% compared to the same period of 2016. With 177,336 units (+6.4%), Italy remains the largest European motorcycle market, followed by France (132,950 motorcycles, +2.4%), Germany (126,592 motorcycles, -11.7%), Spain (105,184 motorcycles, -8.5%) and the UK (80,222 motorcycles, -15.4%).

Registrations in the moped segment reached 280,279 units (+9.3%) during the first 9 months of 2017, although this is partially due to the Slovenian government mandating all owners of unregistered mopeds to register them in order to update its motor vehicle database.

The largest moped market in Europe was the French one (73,646 units, +7.2%), followed by the Netherlands (58,672 units, +5.9%), Germany (22,742 units, -9.2%), Poland (20,550 units, -4.1%), and Italy (19,823 units, -0.3%).

Registrations of electric vehicles in the EU up by 7.1%

Combined registrations of electric mopeds, motorcycles and quadricycles reached 23,695 units during the first 9 months of 2017. This represents an increase of 7.1% compared to the same period of 2016.

The largest European markets in terms of volume were France with a total of 7,231 electric vehicles, followed by the Netherlands (4,421 units), Belgium (4,165 units), Spain (2,501 units) and Italy (1,454 units).

A total of 3,121 electric motorcycles were registered in the EU between January and September 2017 (-13.4%). The largest European markets for electric motorcycles were: France (892, +4%), Spain (808, +51.9%) Germany (405, -32.3%), and Austria (691, -60.5%).

Registrations of electric mopeds reached 18,234 units (+60.8% compared to the first 9 months of 2016). The largest European markets for mopeds were: France (5502 units, +93.6%), Netherlands (4244 units, -16.3%), Belgium (3630 units, +293%), Spain (1578 units, +161%) and Austria (876 units, +73.8%).

Quote

Commenting on the latest figures, Antonio Perlot, Secretary General of ACEM, said:

“Vehicle registrations in Europe have slightly declined during the first 9 months of 2017 in comparison to the same period of 2016. From a longer time horizon, however, the moped and motorcycle fleet – that is the total number of vehicles circulating on the streets – increased from about 30.3 million units (2006) to 35.3 million units (2015)”.

“The reasons for this steady growth are well known. Motorcycles and mopeds are ideal for commuting, particularly in cities with high road traffic, and are easier to park, which of course saves considerable time to people. Also, they consume less fuel and are more affordable than other means of transport. These intrinsic advantages will still be there several years ahead, and therefore we expect the number of powered-two wheelers in Europe to continue increasing”.

“Furthermore, our latest registration figures show an increase in the number of motorcycles used for leisure purposes in several European markets. These vehicles are mainly bought for the pleasure of riding itself, although they also offer a ‘cross over’ function and are also often used for commuting”.

“There are also important opportunities to increase sales out of the European Union. About 80% of all motorcycles and mopeds in the world are used in Asian countries, which offer an enormous market potential for our industry. However, many of these countries have very restrictive trade policies, which harm European companies, as the European Commission pointed out in its recent GEAR 2030 report”.

“Looking forward, our sector continues to invest in new technologies and several companies are already cooperating in the field of connected vehicles through the Connected Motorcycle Consortium. In the coming years customers will increasingly see new motorcycles with advanced and innovate features”.

Documents available to download

ACEM - Statistical data - January - September 2017 [xls]

ACEM - Statistical press release - January - September 2017 [pdf]

Charts - Monthly motorcycle registrations (up to September 2017) [jpg]

Charts - Monthly moped registrations (up to September 2017) [jpg]

Charts - Monthly electric vehicle registrations (up to September 2017) [jpg]

About ACEM

  • The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) represents manufacturers of mopeds, motorcycles, three-wheelers and quadricycles (L-category vehicles) in Europe.
  • ACEM members include 18 manufacturing companies: BMW Motorrad, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), Ducati Motor holding, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, KYMCO, MV Agusta, Peugeot Scooters, Piaggio, Polaris Industries, Renault, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Triumph Motorcycles and Yamaha. ACEM also represents 17 motorcycle industry associations in 14 different European countries.
  • About 156,000 jobs depend on the L-category industry in Europe. There are about 35.3 million motorcycles and scooters on Europe’s roads (2015 figures).

Press contact

For further information or to receive future market updates, news or press releases please contact:
Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua. ACEM communications officer
E.  
P. +32 (0) 22 30 97 32

Motorcycle industry calls for ambitious European industrial strategy in close cooperation with industry organisations
20 Oct 2017

A delegation representing 119 European industrial associations, including the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers presented today the document “For an ambitious EU industrial strategy. Going further” to the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU, the body that represents Member States at EU level. The report, drafted by a coalition of industrial sectors representing close to 34 million jobs in the EU, calls on the European Commission to prepare a genuine European industrial strategy, in close cooperation with industry organisations.

Commenting on this initiative ACEM Secretary General Antonio Perlot said:

“We thank the Estonian Presidency of the Council for this invitation and for examining our proposals. Manufacturing companies are the backbone of Europe’s economy. Good cooperation between the European industry and the EU institutions will be essential to continue promoting investments and job creation in Europe”.

“Also in line with the recent GEAR 2030 report, we look forward to the European Commission putting forward more concrete proposals to support Europe’s manufacturing capabilities. In particular, motorcycle companies need a predictable and balanced regulatory framework to operate efficiently, as well as fair and stable trade relations between the EU and key markets such as China, India, South East Asian countries and the US”.

Note for editors

  • On 17 February 2017 a coalition of more than one hundred industry associations adopted a joint declaration calling on the European Commission to support an ambitious EU industrial strategy.
  • On 13 September 2017 the European Commission published a Communication entitled “Investing in a smart, innovative and sustainable Industry: A renewed EU Industrial Policy Strategy”. The Communication announced the creation of a High Level Industrial Roundtable with representatives of industry, civil society and public administrations in 2018.
  • However, the European Commission’s Communication did not contain any specific measures to support manufacturing companies in Europe, but rather a list of proposals recently adopted or close to adoption.

About ACEM

  • The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) represents manufacturers of mopeds, motorcycles, three-wheelers and quadricycles (technically known as L-category vehicles) in Europe. About 156,000 jobs depend on the motorcycle, moped, tricycle and quadricycle industry in Europe.
  • ACEM members include 18 manufacturing companies: BMW Motorrad, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), Ducati Motor holding, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, KYMCO, MV Agusta, Peugeot Scooters, Piaggio, Polaris Industries, Renault, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Triumph Motorcycles and Yamaha.
  • ACEM also represents 17 industry associations in 14 different European countries. 

Press contact

Manuel Ordonez de Barraicua. ACEM Communications Officer

+32 (0) 22 30 97 32

Press release - ACEM comments to the GEAR 2030 report published by the European Commission
19 Oct 2017

The European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, ACEM, reacted to the GEAR 2030 report, published yesterday by the European Commission. ACEM Secretary General Antonio Perlot said:

Contact us

European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers

Avenue de la Joyeuse Entrée, 1 B1040
Brussels Belgium

+32 (0)22 30 97 32

VAT BE0740.931.926

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