Final month I used to be lucky sufficient to make a journey to China and go to seven completely different micromobility corporations, 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, contemplate this as a preview of what’s to return.
Bafang manufacturing unit tour
Bafang is maybe one of the best identified 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 trade is aware of that if you would like 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 little 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 really took a tour of Bafang’s manufacturing unit all the best way 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 factor 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 change most of the jobs beforehand carried out by hand within the manufacturing and meeting traces for parts like motors and controllers. Nevertheless, the working surroundings has improved significantly for sure duties like wonderful soldering which can be nonetheless carried out by extremely skilled 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, which means that as a substitute of soldering fumes rising up previous the nostril of the employee on the best way to vents, the gases are actually sucked downwards and out to the filters. What was as soon as an answer to guard everybody besides for the instant employee is now an answer to guard everybody.
The battery manufacturing unit was one other fascinating a part of the go to, as batteries are one of many latest parts added to Bafang’s shortly increasing lineup.
The method is very automized. First, particular person battery cells are sorted by machines into essentially the most comparable resistances, then grouped into modules which can be ultrasonically welded collectively. Human arms return to the equation with the meeting of the battery modules into the circumstances, after which the batteries are despatched for inspection on the finish of the meeting line.
Earlier than the batteries might be packaged for cargo although, each single pack is put by a cost and discharge cycle to check for anomalies. Large racks run down the hallways with tons of 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 computerized transmissions in addition to hub motors with built-in transmissions. One downside that has plagued the e-bike trade is using present transmission parts that weren’t meant for high-power motors however somewhat human leg energy. With Bafang growing its personal bicycle transmissions which can be designed to work with increased steady energy present in electrical bikes, reliability ought to see a major 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 true factor, particularly as NIU has quickly expanded its big selection of choices.
My tour began within the manufacturing unit showroom, which underscores simply how broad that product line actually is. We’re used to seeing the corporate’s export merchandise, however there’s an much more numerous lineup of home electrical two-wheelers designed for the Chinese language market.
From there, we moved to the manufacturing unit flooring the place scooters are assembled. Flying conveyor programs with hanging element cabinets are pre-loaded with all of the components needed for constructing these scooters, permitting line employees to pluck off the required parts as they float by at every stage of the meeting course of.
The scooters go collectively surprisingly shortly 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 a large storage warehouse and loaded onto vehicles for transport everywhere in 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 employees assembling them forward of intensive rider inspections and check rides.
I additionally had the possibility to check journey a number of of NIU’s electrical automobiles, from the standing electrical kickscooters to their increased velocity mopeds and full-size electrical bikes, to even the corporate’s Sur Ron-competitor electrical filth 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 all the time be a fan of 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 filth bikes might be, there’s one thing so utilitarian a few seated electrical scooter that makes it the proper automobile substitute for me.
EUNORAU Headquarters Tour
I’ve been using EUNORAU electrical bikes for years and years, however this was my first likelihood to lastly meet the group behind the bikes. I visited their headquarters close to Hangzhou and took a tour by most of the firm’s previous, current and future e-bikes, together with fashions nonetheless within the works.
From there, I visited their operations middle the place the corporate has a big warehouse stocked with nearly every little thing you possibly can ever must service and assist e-bikes. Along with EUNORAU’s Las Vegas service middle, the corporate is able to ship out components from its headquarters when needed.
I even bought a glance behind the scenes on the firm’s new BKRE service, which is extra necessary than ever with the growing variety of e-bike firm closures. Principally, BKRE shares most of the components utilized in frequent electrical bikes from corporations which have folded. Meaning homeowners of these e-bikes could have someplace to show sooner or later in the event that they want assist. Looking for a random controller or show might be almost inconceivable with out figuring out the precise factories these components come from. With its deep community of connections within the e-bike manufacturing trade, EUNORAU can discover substitute 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 available, homeowners can contact BKRE and with a bit of luck, the best half might be present in just a few days and despatched out anyplace on this planet.
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 little 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 town they have been situated 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 consumers.
There’s much more to return although, so be looking out for my deep dive article and video on the expertise!
Yadea Retail Seller Present
This was completely wild! The final time I used to be in China, I visited one among Yadea’s large factories. Yadea is the world’s largest electrical automobile producer. They make every little 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 Seller Present. There have been over 4,000 sellers there, largely from China but in addition from all all over the world. The present was completely large!
Along with the large attendance, Yadea had examples of most of the varied fashions of electrical automobiles 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 filth 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 might 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 corporations for years, attended dozens of commerce reveals, and test-ridden actually tons of of automobiles. However I’ve by no means seen a single producer with such a breadth of automobiles 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 broad 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 can land in dealerships later this Spring. Speaking to the group, I realized 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 testing 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 children, the Dahon fashions have been a blast to journey.
Ending up the go to, the group took me on a night group journey that they get pleasure from a number of occasions a month as an opportunity for the group to spend time using collectively on the great bicycle trails round Shenzhen.
Zhenmin golf cart manufacturing unit tour
Zhenmin gave me entry to their whole manufacturing unit to see how electrical golf carts and neighborhood electrical automobiles 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 employees hand-forming and welding the assorted parts.
Lots of the firm’s fashions are exported to India, whereas others are bought in varied nations in Asia and South America.
The warehouse for accomplished golf carts ready to ship out was large, with tons of if not 1000’s of items ready in varied packaging phases for his or her journeys.
As with a lot of my different visits, I used to be pleased 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 inform you which one, however I’ll be excited to see them carry this beast of a golf cart to market. It’s extremely highly effective, to the purpose that I nearly threw myself out the aspect 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 preventing over your limbs. There’s undoubtedly nonetheless a spot out there for modest neighborhood electrical automobiles!
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 group is clearly fairly pleased about all the additional house. There wasn’t an excessive amount of to see inside but, so as a substitute we spent many 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 filth 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 have to 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 worth of the Heybike Alpha on the time of writing, however it’s anticipated to be one of the crucial 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 present line of numerous 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!
Be sure 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 offer you all that very same feeling of going behind the scenes to see what goes into these automobiles that we so generally use every day!
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