Final month I used to be lucky sufficient to make a journey to China and go to seven completely different micromobility firms, 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 tens of millions 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 probably the perfect identified Chinese language electrical bicycle part 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 if you would like a strong motor (and don’t need 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 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 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 substitute most of the jobs beforehand accomplished by hand within the manufacturing and meeting traces for elements like motors and controllers. Nonetheless, the working surroundings has improved significantly for sure duties like tremendous soldering which might be nonetheless accomplished by extremely skilled palms. The older fume hoods that after hung over workstations in an effort 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 at the moment are 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 attention-grabbing a part of the go to, as batteries are one of many latest elements added to Bafang’s shortly increasing lineup.
The method is very automized. First, particular person battery cells are sorted by machines into probably the most comparable resistances, then grouped into modules which might be ultrasonically welded collectively. Human palms 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 by means of a cost and discharge cycle to check for anomalies. Huge racks run down the hallways with a whole lot 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 downside that has plagued the e-bike business is the usage of present transmission elements that weren’t meant for high-power motors however fairly human leg energy. With Bafang growing its personal bicycle transmissions which might be 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 called 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 huge 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 ground the place scooters are assembled. Flying conveyor techniques with hanging part cabinets are pre-loaded with all of the elements mandatory for constructing these scooters, permitting line staff to pluck off the mandatory elements 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 take a look at 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 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 staff assembling them forward of in depth rider inspections and take a look at rides.
I additionally had the possibility to check experience a number of of NIU’s electrical automobiles, from the standing electrical kickscooters to their larger pace 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 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 filth bikes will be, there’s one thing so utilitarian a few seated electrical scooter that makes it the proper 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 by means of 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 have to service and assist e-bikes. Along with EUNORAU’s Las Vegas service middle, the corporate is able to ship out elements from its headquarters when mandatory.
I even bought a glance backstage on the firm’s new BKRE service, which is extra essential than ever with the growing variety of e-bike firm closures. Principally, BKRE shares most of the elements utilized in widespread electrical bikes from firms 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 will be almost unattainable with out figuring out the precise factories these elements come from. With its deep community of connections within the e-bike manufacturing business, EUNORAU can discover alternative elements for almost any electrical bike made in China.
They inventory lots 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 with a bit of luck, the suitable half will be present in a couple of days and despatched out anyplace on the earth.
Final however not least, I wasn’t about to go away with out the possibility to experience 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 had been situated in on a number of of the corporate’s e-bikes, testing out the brand new elements 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 Supplier 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 every little thing from mild electrical scooters for recreation and commuting to heavy-duty electrical trikes for business use. However their principal merchandise are seated electrical scooters, of which they produce tens of millions.
This time, Yadea invited me to attend the corporate’s Retail Supplier 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 huge!
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 could possibly be an enormous sport changer for longer-lasting, safer batteries.
The sheer selection seen on the present was mind-blowing. I’ve coated electrical car firms for years, attended dozens of commerce exhibits, and test-ridden actually a whole lot 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 huge 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 may land in dealerships later this Spring. Speaking to the crew, I realized extra about what makes Dahon’s folding e-bikes so particular, together with a deal with 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 had been a blast to experience.
Ending up the go to, the crew took me on a night group experience that they get pleasure from a number of instances 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 total 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 staff hand-forming and welding the varied elements.
Lots of the firm’s fashions are exported to India, whereas others are offered in varied nations in Asia and South America.
The warehouse for accomplished golf carts ready to ship out was huge, with a whole lot if not 1000’s of models ready in varied packaging levels for his or her journeys.
As with lots of my different visits, I used to be comfortable 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 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 aspect 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 means, and there’s one thing good about not having centrifugal forces combating over your limbs. There’s positively nonetheless a spot out there for modest neighborhood electrical automobiles!
Heybike Alpha take a look at experience
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 comfortable about all the additional house. There wasn’t an excessive amount of to see inside but, so as a substitute 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 filth and concrete hills with ease. I may 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. Nonetheless, you positively 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 some of the inexpensive 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 take a look at using video on that bike, so be sure you test it out right here!
Keep tuned for extra!
Be sure to examine 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 provide 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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