Buying a bike wash machine in Germany is straightforward: cycleWASH sells every machine outright at the list price, ex works Cologne. Payment: online orders are paid in full at checkout; orders placed by quote or purchase order pay two-thirds with the order and the remaining third before delivery. Because the machine is a business asset, the tax side matters as much as the price: it is depreciated (AfA), the input VAT is normally recoverable, and smaller businesses can bring part of the deduction forward. Below we cover how buying works, the tax angle, and how to model payback before you order.
How do I buy a bike wash machine in Germany?
You buy a cycleWASH machine directly from us, outright and at the list price. There is no financing, no leasing, no Mietkauf, no instalment plan and no third-party lender, and a single machine is sold without discounts. The price depends on the model and configuration. Many operators reach payback in 15–26 months, after which the machine keeps earning for the rest of its service life.
The terms are the same for every buyer:
- Ex works Cologne (EXW, Incoterms 2020). Export packaging is quoted separately. Transport, insurance, import taxes/VAT, customs and every cost from our works onward are arranged and paid by the buyer.
- Payment: online orders are paid in full at checkout; orders placed by quote or purchase order pay two-thirds with the order and the remaining third before delivery. From stock where available; otherwise ready 3 weeks after the order payment is received.
The tax angle
A bike wash machine bought for your business is a fixed asset: the purchase price is depreciated over its useful life (AfA) against operating income, and the input VAT (Vorsteuer) on the purchase is normally recoverable for VAT-registered businesses. For machines delivered and ready for use by 31 December 2027, degressive depreciation (§ 7 Abs. 2 EStG) allows up to 30% of the purchase price to be deducted in the first year, and small and medium-sized businesses can reach up to 70% in year one (§ 7g Abs. 5 EStG). The § 7g Investitionsabzugsbetrag can also bring part of the deduction forward into the years before the purchase.
Always confirm treatment with your Steuerberater — the deductibility and depreciation period depend on your specific setup, and the figures above are a non-binding indication, not tax advice. The point for planning: the purchase is a one-time outlay, and depreciation weighted towards the first years reduces taxable profit while wash revenue pays the machine back.
Match the model to your site
cycleWASH offers a clear product ladder, so you can size the investment to your site and footfall:
- Mini Station — EUR 17,500
- Mini Basic — EUR 25,990
- Mini Platinum — EUR 29,990
- Pro — from EUR 45,000
- LuftWASH (drying) and Care products complete the range.
A compact Mini Station at the entry price is a far smaller investment than a Pro installation, but both follow the same logic: a one-time purchase at the list price, with wash revenue running against it. For higher-throughput sites — bike shops, resorts, municipal hubs, fleet depots — the Pro justifies its cost through volume.
Model the payback before you buy
Buying only makes sense if the unit pays for itself. Run your own numbers: expected washes per week, price per wash, and the purchase price of the model you need. Typical cycleWASH payback lands in the 15–26 month range, which means the machine earns back its purchase price within roughly 15 months to just over two years.
Use our ROI calculator to plug in your traffic and pricing and see the monthly margin against the purchase price. It is the fastest way to check whether a machine fits your site economics before you commit.
Why cycleWASH
cycleWASH is built by CW Cleaning Solutions GmbH in Köln — professional bicycle washing machines, Made in Germany. The credentials behind the purchase decision:
- 35 granted IP rights
- 350+ units sold across 24+ countries
- 1M+ bikes washed
- ~10 years in the market
- DEKRA / CE certified
That track record matters when you are investing in equipment for years of service: you are buying a proven, certified machine with an established install base, not a prototype.
Ready to choose the right machine for your site? Contact us with your model and configuration, and we will help you set the purchase price against your projected wash revenue.
