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, take a look at 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 12 months (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 return.
Bafang manufacturing unit tour
Bafang is probably the most effective identified Chinese language electrical bicycle part producer. The corporate is broadly regarded for its motors, which have been its flagship merchandise for over a decade. Everybody within the e-bike trade 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 the whole lot else on an e-bike too, now even together with the batteries.
Lengthy-time followers of my articles and movies would possibly do not forget that I really 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 ingredient of my go to, having the prospect to see simply how a lot has modified within the final 5 years.
For instance, automation has helped change most of the jobs beforehand completed 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 fantastic soldering which might be nonetheless completed 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 a substitute of soldering fumes rising up previous the nostril of the employee on the way in which 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 speedy 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 rapidly increasing lineup.
The method is very automized. First, particular person battery cells are sorted by machines into probably the most related resistances, then grouped into modules which might be 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 may be packaged for cargo although, each single pack is put by a cost and discharge cycle to check for anomalies. Huge 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 drawback that has plagued the e-bike trade is the usage of present transmission parts that weren’t supposed for high-power motors however somewhat human leg energy. With Bafang growing its personal bicycle transmissions which might be designed to work with increased 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 ensure 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 usually been imitated, however there’s no substitute for the actual factor, particularly as NIU has quickly expanded its wide selection of choices.
My tour began within the manufacturing unit showroom, which underscores simply how broad that product line really 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 flooring the place scooters are assembled. Flying conveyor methods with hanging part cabinets are pre-loaded with all of the elements 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 take a look at riders ready for them to roll off the ultimate ramp. After the scooters are inspected and test-ridden, they’re finally moved into an enormous storage warehouse and loaded onto vehicles for delivery 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 related processes, with an meeting line conveying the scooters alongside as staff assembling them forward of intensive rider inspections and take a look at rides.
I additionally had the prospect to check trip 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 may be, there’s one thing so utilitarian a couple of seated electrical scooter that makes it the proper automobile substitute for me.
EUNORAU Headquarters Tour
I’ve been driving EUNORAU electrical bikes for years and years, however this was my first likelihood to lastly meet the crew 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 heart the place the corporate has a big warehouse stocked with nearly the whole lot you can ever must service and assist e-bikes. Along with EUNORAU’s Las Vegas service heart, the corporate is able to ship out elements from its headquarters when mandatory.
I even obtained a glance backstage 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 elements utilized in frequent electrical bikes from corporations which have folded. Meaning house owners 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 may be practically unattainable with out figuring out the precise factories these elements come from. With its deep community of connections within the e-bike manufacturing trade, EUNORAU can discover substitute elements for practically any electrical bike made in China.
They inventory a lot of these elements already on a number of rows of cabinets of their warehouse. For elements they don’t have already got available, house owners can contact BKRE and optimistically, the proper half may be present in a number of days and despatched out wherever on this planet.
Final however not least, I wasn’t about to depart with out the prospect to trip a bunch of EUNORAU’s electrical bikes.
I had the whole lot 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 had 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 consumers.
There’s much more to return although, so be looking out for my deep dive article and video on the expertise!
Yadea Retail Vendor Present
This was completely wild! The final time I used to be in China, I visited one among Yadea’s huge factories. Yadea is the world’s largest electrical car producer. They make the whole lot 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 Vendor Present. There have been over 4,000 sellers there, largely from China but additionally from all all over the world. The present was completely huge!
Along with the massive attendance, Yadea had examples of most of the varied fashions of electrical automobiles they produce. I noticed some acquainted fashions but additionally 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 know-how, which may very well be an enormous recreation changer for longer-lasting, safer batteries.
The sheer selection seen on the present was mind-blowing. I’ve lined electrical car corporations for years, attended dozens of commerce exhibits, 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 lately, Dahon has expanded its broad line of folding bicycles to incorporate many several types 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 crew, I discovered extra about what makes Dahon’s folding e-bikes so particular, together with a give attention to body rigidity that helps scale back that telltale flexy feeling on many folding bikes available in the market.
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 youngsters, the Dahon fashions had been a blast to trip.
Ending up the go to, the crew took me on a night group trip that they take pleasure in a number of occasions a month as an opportunity for the group to spend time driving 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 basically handbook, with staff 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 huge, 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 blissful to take the chance for some take a look at 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 convey this beast of a golf cart to market. It’s extremely highly effective, to the purpose that I virtually 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 had been enjoyable in their very own method, and there’s one thing good about not having centrifugal forces combating over your limbs. There’s undoubtedly nonetheless a spot available in the market for modest neighborhood electrical automobiles!
Heybike Alpha take a look at trip
Additionally in Shenzhen, I had the chance to go to Heybike’s new headquarters. The corporate lately moved into a brand new Shenzhen workplace, and their crew is clearly fairly blissful about all the additional area. 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 acute 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 various types of electrical bikes.
I’ve already shared my take a look at driving video on that bike, so ensure you test it out right here!
Keep tuned for extra!
Be sure you test 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 backstage to see what goes into these automobiles that we so generally use every day!
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