Final month I used to be lucky sufficient to make a journey to China and go to seven totally 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 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 unit tour
Bafang is probably one of the best recognized 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 trade is aware of that if you’d 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 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 truly 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 prospect to see simply how a lot has modified within the final 5 years.
For instance, automation has helped substitute lots of the jobs beforehand finished 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 high quality soldering which are nonetheless finished by extremely skilled palms. The older fume hoods that when hung over workstations so as to filter out soldering exhaust have now been moved into the work surfaces, which means that as an alternative of soldering fumes rising up previous the nostril of the employee on the best way 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 parts 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 are 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 may be packaged for cargo although, each single pack is put by way of 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 current transmission parts that weren’t meant for high-power motors however relatively human leg energy. With Bafang creating its personal bicycle transmissions which are 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 be sure to keep tuned for my full report from the manufacturing unit, coming quickly!
NIU Manufacturing facility 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 typically 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 large 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 methods with hanging part cabinets are pre-loaded with all of the elements needed for constructing these scooters, permitting line employees to pluck off the mandatory 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 vans 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 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 prospect to check experience 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 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 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 dust 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 using EUNORAU electrical bikes for years and years, however this was my first probability to lastly meet the workforce behind the bikes. I visited their headquarters close to Hangzhou and took a tour by way of lots 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 thing you possibly can ever must service and help e-bikes. Along with EUNORAU’s Las Vegas service middle, the corporate is able to ship out elements from its headquarters when needed.
I even bought a glance behind the scenes on the firm’s new BKRE service, which is extra essential than ever with the rising variety of e-bike firm closures. Mainly, BKRE shares lots of the elements utilized in widespread electrical bikes from corporations which have folded. Meaning house owners of these e-bikes may have someplace to show sooner or later in the event that they want help. Looking for a random controller or show may be practically unimaginable with out realizing 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 readily available, house owners can contact BKRE and optimistically, the precise half may be present in a couple of days and despatched out wherever on this planet.
Final however not least, I wasn’t about to depart with out the prospect to experience 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 town they had 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 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 one among Yadea’s huge factories. Yadea is the world’s largest electrical car producer. They make every thing from gentle electrical scooters for recreation and commuting to heavy-duty electrical trikes for business use. However their foremost 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 in addition from all all over the world. The present was completely huge!
Along with the large attendance, Yadea had examples of lots of the numerous 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 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 know-how, which might 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 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 not too long ago, Dahon has expanded its large line of folding bicycles to incorporate many various kinds of folding electrical bikes.
I toured Dahon’s showroom to see lots of the soon-to-be-released fashions that can land in dealerships later this Spring. Speaking to the workforce, 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 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 children, the Dahon fashions had been a blast to experience.
Ending up the go to, the workforce took me on a night group experience that they take pleasure in 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 complete 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 guide, with employees hand-forming and welding the varied parts.
Lots of the firm’s fashions are exported to India, whereas others are bought in numerous international locations 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 models ready in numerous packaging phases for his or her journeys.
As with a lot of my different visits, I used to be comfortable 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 carry 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 combating over your limbs. There’s positively nonetheless a spot available in the market for modest neighborhood electrical automobiles!
Heybike Alpha check experience
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 workforce is clearly fairly comfortable about all the additional area. There wasn’t an excessive amount of to see inside but, so as an alternative 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 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 positively should 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 value of the Heybike Alpha on the time of writing, however it’s anticipated to be probably the most reasonably priced mid-drive electrical journey bikes in the marketplace, serving to to proceed Heybike’s technique of worth pricing on the corporate’s current line of various types of electrical bikes.
I’ve already shared my check using video on that bike, so be sure to 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 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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