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 facility, 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 facility tour journey I took final 12 months (with the documentary of that journey racking up thousands and 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 facility tour
Bafang is maybe 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 business is aware of that if you need a stable motor (and don’t wish to pay for a German motor), you go to Bafang.
However because it seems, Bafang makes just about every part else on an e-bike too, now even together with the batteries.
Lengthy-time followers of my articles and movies would possibly keep in mind that I really took a tour of Bafang’s manufacturing facility all the best way again in 2019. The corporate has since expanded to a a lot bigger manufacturing facility and the manufacturing processes have additionally improved. That was a very fascinating component 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 elements like motors and controllers. Nonetheless, the working surroundings has improved significantly for sure duties like nice soldering which can be nonetheless completed by extremely educated arms. The older fume hoods that when 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 rapid employee is now an answer to guard everybody.
The battery manufacturing facility was one other fascinating a part of the go to, as batteries are one of many latest elements 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 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 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 downside that has plagued the e-bike business is using present transmission elements that weren’t meant for high-power motors however relatively 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 facility, 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 good 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 big selection of choices.
My tour began within the manufacturing facility 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 numerous lineup of home electrical two-wheelers designed for the Chinese language market.
From there, we moved to the manufacturing facility flooring the place scooters are assembled. Flying conveyor programs with hanging part cabinets are pre-loaded with all of the elements mandatory for constructing these scooters, permitting line employees to pluck off the mandatory elements 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 ultimately moved into an enormous storage warehouse and loaded onto vans for delivery everywhere in the nation and export to worldwide sellers.
In one other a part of the manufacturing facility I noticed the standing electrical scooters present process related processes, with an meeting line conveying the scooters alongside as employees 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 autos, 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 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 might be, there’s one thing so utilitarian a few seated electrical scooter that makes it the right automotive substitute 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 staff 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 part you could possibly ever have to 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 bought a glance backstage on the firm’s new BKRE service, which is extra necessary than ever with the growing variety of e-bike firm closures. Mainly, BKRE shares most of the elements utilized in frequent electrical bikes from firms which have folded. Meaning homeowners of these e-bikes may have someplace to show sooner or later in the event that they want assist. Looking for a random controller or show might be almost unimaginable with out understanding the precise factories these elements come from. With its deep community of connections within the e-bike manufacturing business, EUNORAU can discover substitute 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 readily available, homeowners can contact BKRE and optimistically, the appropriate half might be present in a couple of days and despatched out wherever on the 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 every part 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 positioned 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 hundreds of shoppers.
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 certainly one of Yadea’s huge factories. Yadea is the world’s largest electrical car producer. They make every part from mild electrical scooters for recreation and commuting to heavy-duty electrical trikes for business use. However their fundamental merchandise are seated electrical scooters, of which they produce thousands and 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 large attendance, Yadea had examples of most of the varied fashions of electrical autos 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 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 car firms for years, attended dozens of commerce exhibits, 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 not too long ago, 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 can land in dealerships later this Spring. Speaking to the staff, I realized 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 out there.
After trying out the brand new lineup of Dahon folding e-bikes within the showroom, I headed outdoors 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 trip.
Ending up the go to, the staff took me on a night group trip that they take pleasure in 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 facility tour
Zhenmin gave me entry to their total manufacturing facility 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 facility.
The method is essentially handbook, with employees hand-forming and welding the assorted elements.
Most of the firm’s fashions are exported to India, whereas others are bought in varied 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 hundreds of items ready in varied packaging levels for his or her journeys.
As with lots of my different visits, I used to be completely satisfied 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 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 approach, and there’s one thing good about not having centrifugal forces preventing over your limbs. There’s positively nonetheless a spot out there for modest neighborhood electrical autos!
Heybike Alpha take a look at trip
Additionally in Shenzhen, I had the chance to go to Heybike’s new headquarters. The corporate not too long ago moved into a brand new Shenzhen workplace, and their staff is clearly fairly completely satisfied 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. Nonetheless, you positively 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 value of the Heybike Alpha on the time of writing, however it’s anticipated to be one of the reasonably priced mid-drive electrical journey bikes in the marketplace, serving to to proceed Heybike’s technique of worth pricing on the corporate’s present line of numerous types 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 you test again over the following 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 autos that we so generally use every day!
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