The Brompton Electric G Line arrived two months later than planned because the company that makes the bikes’ controllers was busy working on drones for the military. Brompton managing director Will Butler-Adams did however express confidence the bike would sell well, while at the same time warning that a possible legislative change could see the market flooded with cheap imports.

Billed as being “the most versatile bike in the world,” the Electric G Line was launched in September – but apparently this was later than planned.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House about the British Army’s adoption of the sport of ‘drone racing’, Butler-Adams said: “We make electric bikes and inside our electric bikes we have controllers. And the controller is made in the UK – designed by us, made by a British company.

“We were launching a new bike, our G Line, and it was delayed by two months because our controller manufacturer was also making stuff for the MoD. And actually it was making stuff for drones, and they needed a lot of drones, and we therefore got bumped down the list.”

Earlier this month, Butler-Adams warned that the cycling industry “will not get better this year” after revealing Brompton’s profits had plunged by over 99 per cent following a “challenging” year.

While he has been more positive about the launch of the “more rugged” G Line – and in particular, the electric version – he believes the overall retail picture is still being shaped by excess stock.

“People are going bust,” he told the FT. “If you’re selling a bike at a discount, you’re making a loss, so you’re not sustaining the industry.”

Another looming concern is the Trade Remedy Authority’s (TRA) recommendation that anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures on e-bikes from China be revoked, as it has concluded that keeping them in place would, “not be in the economic interest of the UK”.

Speaking last year, the public body said the move could benefit the UK economy by an average of £51m per year, save consumers an average of £260 per e-bike, and result in an average of 31,000 more e-bikes being bought per year in the UK.

However, Butler-Adams worries about the impact of cheaper imports and highlights the fact that anti-dumping tariffs are set to remain in the rest of Europe.

“I don’t need the government to back me [with financial support],” he said. “I just don’t need them to kill me, you know?”

The Department for Business and Trade said: “No decision has yet been made on these specific tariffs — but the independent TRA are there to ensure our tariffs work for our economy.”

Butler-Adams also went on to raise concerns about, “low quality, unregulated bikes that are being imported illegally from China or Vietnam,” saying: “Bikes are not toys. If they break, they could kill somebody – it’s no joke.”

He continued: “If we had a sophisticated audit system [safety concerns would be unfounded] … But the guy at the port hasn’t got a clue. He doesn’t know anything about bike standards.”

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