According to a new study by Navigant Research, over 55 million electric motorbikes and scooters will be sold over the next ten years, Motorbike Writer reports.

The market research firm said that urban congestion and rising fuel prices are the main factors driving the move towards electric vehicles.

Navigant Research director, John Gartner, said that China currently dominates the electric motorbike market, with 98% of sales originating from the country. However, Gartner says, the market will begin to spread to other countries, namely due to the introduction of high-profile models from the likes of Yamaha, BMW and Harley-Davidson.

Gartner told Motorbike Writer that expensive components and ‘sluggish’ demand impede the sales of electric vehicles today. However, expanding consumer markets and new high-profile competitors will see the market grow in years to come.

At present, electric motorbikes are expensive, but these prices will significantly drop in the forthcoming years, similar to the price drop in flat-screen TVs.

While prices continue to be a hurdle for the general public, electric bike manufacturers have now started to target fleet sales, especially to the emergency services and police who enjoy the ‘stealth’ aspect to quiet-running vehicles.

Gartner says that it is the “shifting nature of personal mobility” that will greatly contribute to the growing interest in electric motorcycles and motorbikes as a means of transport.

The Navigant Research report is titled ‘Electric Motorcycles and Scooters’ and looks into global markets for both low and high-powered electronic bikes and scooters, as well as related technologies.