KTM Global Motorcycle Sales Hit In First Half Of 2020

Pierer Mobility AG, the parent company of KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas, has announced sales figures for the first half of 2020, and the numbers aren't great. For the first six months of 2020, the three brands sold a combined total of 90,331 motorcycles around the world, compared to 1,35,711 motorcycles for the same period last year. That is a 33 per cent decline in sales for the period from January to June, year on year. Out of that, Bajaj Auto, which owns 48 per cent stake in KTM, sold 20,160 motorcycles in the same period, a decline of 38 per cent over the 32,539 made-in-India KTM motorcycles Bajaj had despatched in the same period a year ago.

Also Read: KTM CEO Says Motorcycle Sales Picking Up Despite Pandemic

KTM's Mattighofen factory was shut down in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Pierer Mobility AG in a press release states that the result is positive in the first half of the year despite the challenges and lockdowns due to COVID-19. In fact, CEO Stefan Pierer has been insistent that despite the challenges of the global pandemic, KTM has not seen any adverse effects on sales. In an interview last month, Pierer maintained that his company has actually hired more people since the pandemic, and now, the latest press release states that overall sales has seen only a 8 per cent decline in the first half of 2020.

Also Read: KTM Shuts Down Mattighofen Plant In Fight Against COVID-19

The only issue with these numbers is that for the first time, Pierer Mobility AG has taken into consideration both motorcycles and e-bikes for total sales numbers of the first half of 2020. And along with those numbers, the company claims that there is a boom in global demand for two-wheelers despite the pandemic, and while sales may be down, in fact, the company has increased production, as well as increased staff with 170 new employees. Pierer Mobility Group however expects sales to pick up in the second half of 2020. Given the importance of e-bikes, and the future of electric mobility, Pierer Mobility will no doubt be bullish on that segment going forward. In any case, motorcycle sales too are expected to make a turnaround by the end of 2020.