Final month I used to be lucky sufficient to make a journey to China and go to seven totally different micromobility firms, every of which invited me to tour their manufacturing unit, check out their new merchandise, or attend their main occasions. The journey is one thing of a sequel to the first Chinese language manufacturing unit tour journey I took final yr (with the documentary of that journey racking up hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube).
Within the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing detailed articles and movies about every of the next visits. However within the meantime, think about this as a preview of what’s to come back.
Bafang manufacturing unit tour
Bafang is probably one of the best recognized Chinese language electrical bicycle element producer. The corporate is extensively regarded for its motors, which have been its flagship merchandise for over a decade. Everybody within the e-bike business is aware of that in order for you a strong motor (and don’t wish to pay for a German motor), you go to Bafang.
However because it seems, Bafang makes just about every thing else on an e-bike too, now even together with the batteries.
Lengthy-time followers of my articles and movies may keep in mind that I truly took a tour of Bafang’s manufacturing unit all the way in which again in 2019. The corporate has since expanded to a a lot bigger manufacturing unit and the manufacturing processes have additionally improved. That was a very fascinating aspect of my go to, having the possibility to see simply how a lot has modified within the final 5 years.
For instance, automation has helped exchange most of the jobs beforehand accomplished by hand within the manufacturing and meeting traces for parts like motors and controllers. Nevertheless, the working atmosphere has improved significantly for sure duties like positive soldering which are nonetheless accomplished by extremely educated arms. The older fume hoods that after hung over workstations with the intention to filter out soldering exhaust have now been moved into the work surfaces, that means that as an alternative of soldering fumes rising up previous the nostril of the employee on the way in which to vents, the gases at the moment are sucked downwards and out to the filters. What was as soon as an answer to guard everybody besides for the rapid employee is now an answer to guard everybody.
The battery manufacturing unit was one other attention-grabbing a part of the go to, as batteries are one of many latest parts added to Bafang’s rapidly increasing lineup.
The method is extremely automized. First, particular person battery cells are sorted by machines into probably the most comparable resistances, then grouped into modules which are ultrasonically welded collectively. Human arms return to the equation with the meeting of the battery modules into the instances, after which the batteries are despatched for inspection on the finish of the meeting line.
Earlier than the batteries will be packaged for cargo although, each single pack is put via a cost and discharge cycle to check for anomalies. Large racks run down the hallways with a whole bunch of batteries at a time present process testing.
Different new improvements that Bafang has begun integrating into its product traces are its personal internally geared hubs with automated transmissions in addition to hub motors with built-in transmissions. One drawback that has plagued the e-bike business is using current transmission parts that weren’t supposed for high-power motors however relatively human leg energy. With Bafang creating its personal bicycle transmissions which are designed to work with larger steady energy present in electrical bikes, reliability ought to see a big enchancment.
There’s much more the place that got here from although, so be sure you keep tuned for my full report from the manufacturing unit, coming quickly!
NIU Manufacturing unit Tour
I’ve ridden a NIU electrical moped since 2020 and have lengthy been a fan of the model, which is named a number one electrical sensible scooter model. The corporate’s designs have typically been imitated, however there’s no substitute for the actual factor, particularly as NIU has quickly expanded its big selection of choices.
My tour began within the manufacturing unit showroom, which underscores simply how vast that product line actually is. We’re used to seeing the corporate’s export merchandise, however there’s an much more various lineup of home electrical two-wheelers designed for the Chinese language market.
From there, we moved to the manufacturing unit ground the place scooters are assembled. Flying conveyor techniques with hanging element cabinets are pre-loaded with all of the components mandatory for constructing these scooters, permitting line staff to pluck off the required parts as they float by at every stage of the meeting course of.
The scooters go collectively surprisingly rapidly as they transfer down the road, with check riders ready for them to roll off the ultimate ramp. After the scooters are inspected and test-ridden, they’re ultimately moved into an enormous storage warehouse and loaded onto vans for transport all around the nation and export to worldwide sellers.
In one other a part of the manufacturing unit I noticed the standing electrical scooters present process comparable processes, with an meeting line conveying the scooters alongside as staff assembling them forward of in depth rider inspections and check rides.
I additionally had the possibility to check journey a number of of NIU’s electrical autos, from the standing electrical kickscooters to their larger pace mopeds and full-size electrical bikes, to even the corporate’s Sur Ron-competitor electrical dust bike.
That bike, the street-legal NIU XQi3, was impressively highly effective, and I needed to be cautious to maintain the entrance wheel down when rolling off the road.
I’ll nonetheless at all times be keen on the corporate’s mopeds although, or “seated electrical scooters” relying on how true to the time period moped you’d prefer to be. As a lot enjoyable as electrical bikes and dust bikes will be, there’s one thing so utilitarian a few seated electrical scooter that makes it the right automobile alternative for me.
EUNORAU Headquarters Tour
I’ve been using EUNORAU electrical bikes for years and years, however this was my first probability to lastly meet the crew behind the bikes. I visited their headquarters close to Hangzhou and took a tour via most of the firm’s previous, current and future e-bikes, together with fashions nonetheless within the works.
From there, I visited their operations heart the place the corporate has a big warehouse stocked with nearly every thing you can ever have to service and help e-bikes. Along with EUNORAU’s Las Vegas service heart, the corporate is able to ship out components from its headquarters when mandatory.
I even bought a glance behind the scenes on the firm’s new BKRE service, which is extra necessary than ever with the rising variety of e-bike firm closures. Principally, BKRE shares most of the components utilized in widespread electrical bikes from firms which have folded. Which means house owners of these e-bikes can have someplace to show sooner or later in the event that they want help. Looking for a random controller or show will be almost unattainable with out realizing the precise factories these components come from. With its deep community of connections within the e-bike manufacturing business, EUNORAU can discover alternative components for almost any electrical bike made in China.
They inventory a lot of these components already on a number of rows of cabinets of their warehouse. For components they don’t have already got readily available, house owners can contact BKRE and with a bit of luck, the correct half will be present in just a few days and despatched out anyplace on the earth.
Final however not least, I wasn’t about to depart with out the possibility to journey a bunch of EUNORAU’s electrical bikes.
I had every thing from the brand new model of the corporate’s fats tire electrical trike to triple-battery electrical bikes to four-wheeled electrical quad bikes at my disposal.
I zipped across the space of the town they have been positioned in on a number of of the corporate’s e-bikes, testing out the brand new parts and enhancements which have come from listening to the suggestions of 1000’s of shoppers.
There’s much more to come back although, so be looking out for my deep dive article and video on the expertise!
Yadea Retail Supplier Present
This was completely wild! The final time I used to be in China, I visited considered one of Yadea’s huge factories. Yadea is the world’s largest electrical automobile producer. They make every thing from gentle electrical scooters for recreation and commuting to heavy-duty electrical trikes for business use. However their primary merchandise are seated electrical scooters, of which they produce hundreds of thousands.
This time, Yadea invited me to attend the corporate’s Retail Supplier Present. There have been over 4,000 sellers there, principally from China but in addition from all around the globe. The present was completely huge!
Along with the large attendance, Yadea had examples of most of the numerous fashions of electrical autos they produce. I noticed some acquainted fashions but in addition skilled dozens of fashions I’d by no means seen earlier than.
From Sur Ron-style electrical dust bikes to Vespa-style vintage-looking electrical seated scooters, Yadea had all of it there. I even checked out the corporate’s new sodium-ion batteries and quick charging expertise, which could possibly be an enormous recreation changer for longer-lasting, safer batteries.
The sheer selection seen on the present was mind-blowing. I’ve coated electrical automobile firms for years, attended dozens of commerce reveals, and test-ridden actually a whole bunch of autos. However I’ve by no means seen a single producer with such a breadth of autos as this.
Dahon Headquarters Go to
Dahon wasn’t the primary to invent a folding bicycle, however the firm was one of many earliest to popularize them with commercialized fashions. The corporate’s first folding bikes, launched in 1984, are nonetheless extremely wanted, and surviving examples carry excessive costs on the resale market. Extra just lately, Dahon has expanded its vast line of folding bicycles to incorporate many various kinds of folding electrical bikes.
I toured Dahon’s showroom to see most of the soon-to-be-released fashions that may land in dealerships later this Spring. Speaking to the crew, I discovered extra about what makes Dahon’s folding e-bikes so particular, together with a concentrate on body rigidity that helps scale back that telltale flexy feeling on many folding bikes out there.
After trying out the brand new lineup of Dahon folding e-bikes within the showroom, I headed exterior to expertise them firsthand. From ultra-lightweight e-bikes to a brand new electrical gravel e-bike and even a heavy-duty electrical tricycle for carrying cargo and youngsters, the Dahon fashions have been a blast to journey.
Ending up the go to, the crew took me on a night group journey that they take pleasure in a number of occasions a month as an opportunity for the group to spend time using collectively on the good bicycle trails round Shenzhen.
Zhenmin golf cart manufacturing unit tour
Zhenmin gave me entry to their complete manufacturing unit to see how electrical golf carts and neighborhood electrical autos are produced. The corporate builds a variety of fashions and begins from the bottom up, welding frames and fabricating our bodies proper there within the manufacturing unit.
The method is essentially handbook, with staff hand-forming and welding the assorted parts.
Most of the firm’s fashions are exported to India, whereas others are offered in numerous international locations in Asia and South America.
The warehouse for accomplished golf carts ready to ship out was huge, with a whole bunch if not 1000’s of items ready in numerous packaging phases for his or her journeys.
As with a lot of my different visits, I used to be joyful to take the chance for some check rides. I began with a lifted electrical golf cart constructed for a US-based firm (although I needed to cowl the model’s logos). I can’t let you know which one, however I’ll be excited to see them deliver this beast of a golf cart to market. It’s extremely highly effective, to the purpose that I nearly threw myself out the facet of it on a pointy flip.
I additionally tried smaller and fewer beast-like machines, together with these designed for aged riders. They have been enjoyable in their very own manner, and there’s one thing good about not having centrifugal forces combating over your limbs. There’s undoubtedly nonetheless a spot out there for modest neighborhood electrical autos!
Heybike Alpha check journey
Additionally in Shenzhen, I had the chance to go to Heybike’s new headquarters. The corporate just lately moved into a brand new Shenzhen workplace, and their crew is clearly fairly joyful about all the additional house. There wasn’t an excessive amount of to see inside but, so as an alternative we spent a lot of the go to testing out the corporate’s new Heybike Alpha electrical bike.
It was simply unveiled at CES and is the model’s first mid-drive electrical bike. The highly effective motor proved to be extremely torquey, serving to me climb up each dust and concrete hills with ease. I might even climb stairs on the bike!
The fats tires make fast work of each on-road and off-road surfaces, and mid-drive motor with included torque sensor is a pleasure to make use of. Nevertheless, you undoubtedly must be cautious with it as a result of the intense torque of the motor requires some care when shifting to go simple on that drivetrain.
We don’t know the ultimate value of the Heybike Alpha on the time of writing, however it’s anticipated to be some of the reasonably priced mid-drive electrical journey bikes available on the market, serving to to proceed Heybike’s technique of worth pricing on the corporate’s current line of various kinds of electrical bikes.
I’ve already shared my check using video on that bike, so be sure you test it out right here!
Keep tuned for extra!
Ensure you verify again over the subsequent month or in order I launch a devoted article and video on every of those visits.
The journey was an eye-opening expertise, and I hope to present you all that very same feeling of going behind the scenes to see what goes into these autos that we so generally use every day!
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