PEDAL POWER

Every ride matters

Accell Group provides non-carbon electric mobility in towns, cities, and communities around Europe. With an unmatched portfolio of acclaimed bicycle brands, the company plays an important role in the way we move, live, and care for our planet.

“Each year, many bikes leave our factories, providing clean and low-carbon transport solutions,” says Jonas Nilsson, CEO of Accell Group. “With our iconic brands, Accell is a true leader in the electric bike space.”

The company is committed to an entrepreneurial and pioneering ethos, continuing the work of the many family firms that have shaped Europe’s bicycle industry over the past 150 years. As cities change to better accommodate bicycle transport for commerce, commuting, and pleasure, Accell is excellently placed to support this transition.

Under one roof

Accell employs around 3,700 people in 15 countries, supporting manufacturing and assembly in Europe. Its headquarters in Heerenveen, the Netherlands, is a hub for product design and engineering.

The company’s bicycle brands comprise well-known names such as homegrown Batavus and Sparta, and cargo bike specialists Babboe and Carqon; Germany’s Haibike, Winora, Ghost, and Koga; French manufacturer Lapierre, and British company Raleigh. XLC is Accell’s own brand for high-quality bicycle parts and accessories, which, along with its bicycles and e-bikes, are supplied to dealers and consumers around the world.

A second life

Every journey on an Accell e-bike is a win, saving the atmosphere and local environment from the C0₂ that would otherwise be emitted by fossil fuel-powered modes of transport.

In addition, Accell is hard at work exploring the potential of using recycled aluminum in its bike frames. It has partnered with Dutch company Refurb Battery, which takes lithium cells from bike batteries to use in its circular energy storage technology. The program started in the Netherlands and Belgium and will be expanded to France and Germany, covering 70% of Accell’s battery footprint.

“Recovered battery cells have avoided over 537 tonnes of CO₂, which is about the equivalent of 5,000 flights from Paris to New York,” says Chris Barrett, Accell’s Executive Vice-President of Manufacturing, Quality, and Service.

What does a sustainable future look like?

Accell aligns with SDG 12, which aims to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Alongside supporting the circular economy through recycling, Accell has worked closely with World Bicycle Relief for eight years. The non-profit’s robust, sustainable Buffalo bicycle has helped to improve access to healthcare, education, and economic independence for more than 850,000 people in remote parts of Colombia and Africa, for example.

“At Accell, sustainability isn’t just about cutting the emissions; it’s about rethinking how we design, produce, connect, and use – from championing circularity to enabling access to mobility and creating real, lasting impact throughout the entire value chain,” says Nilsson.