After the consolidation from 2011 to 2012, the industry of lead-acid battery for electric bicycle has been edging higher in a mixed uptrend. A lot of the small-scale manufacturers were wiped out due to various internal and external factors, such as the government’s restructuring of the industry and fierce price war. As a result, market share and resources have been further taken up by the market leaders.

The demand for lead-acid battery is expected to be optimistic over the next few years, especially from the replacement demand. The average life span of lead-acid battery is two years, but the usable life of an electric bicycle runs up to 10 years.

Due to cost advantage, lead-acid product has been the first choice among the power battery for electric bicycle. Among the three most commonly used power battery for electric bicycle, the lead-acid battery occupied a 91% market share (in terms of sales) in 2011. Such a dominated position is attributed to lead acid battery’s low cost, which equates to 1/4 to 1/2 of the cost of nickel-metal hydride battery (NI-MH battery) and lithium-ion battery. As consumers from low-income class and rural areas are major buyers of power battery bicycle, they find low cost very attractive. The lead-acid battery has exhibited an excellent track record in terms of safety, as its technology has been in the market place for more than a century.

According to the forecast of a market research company Frost & Sullivan, lead-acid battery will continue to own an overwhelming market share of 93% in the industry of power battery for electric bicycle until 2015.