File photo shows a woman rides an electric bike under an umbrella in Yinchuan, capital city of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi)
BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Electric two-wheelers, celebrated for their environmental benefits and convenience, have emerged as a key mode of short-distance transportation in China. In 2024, The export value of China's electric motorcycles and electric bicycles, the main two types of electric two-wheelers, exceeded 40 billion yuan (about 5.5 billion U.S. dollars) for the first time, according to the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China.
-- A hallmark of Chinese quality
China's electric two-wheeler industry has seen remarkable growth in intelligent connectivity technologies, such as remote communication, dynamic safety monitoring, and BeiDou positioning and navigation, as well as in new three-electric systems, fire-resistant materials, and high-performance alloy steel, significantly boosting the technological sophistication, safety, and reliability of these vehicles.
At the EICMA 2024 Milan motorcycle exhibition held in November 2024, Yadea unveiled an electric motorcycle model tailored for the European market, featuring tire pressure monitoring, GPS navigation, mobile phone unlocking, and voice control capabilities. The model received accolades from several European and American industry media outlets after test rides, with some describing it as "unparalleled", "initiator of an electric motorcycle revolution" and "a gamer-changer".
A Peruvian delegate at the APEC Peru 2024 in Lima lauded China's electric two-wheelers, stating that "China's technology is on a different level."
-- Benefiting global consumers
China's electric two-wheelers are very competitive products globally given the well-established complete industrial chain.
In the United States, over 85 percent of electric-assisted bicycles are related to China, while the removal of unreasonable tariffs has enabled buyers of made-in-China electric bicycles in the United Kingdom to save 200 pounds on each purchase.
Meanwhile, Vietnam, the world's fourth-largest motorcycle market, used to be dominated by Japanese brands, with imported gasoline motorcycles costing several thousand U.S. dollars. Now the market has seen a change with the entry of Chinese brands like Yadea, TAILG, Luyuan, and Segway-Ninebot, which have gained popularity among Vietnamese consumers. In particular, the annual sales of Yadea in the country surged by 36 percent.
Furthermore, Chinese companies are actively aligning with ASEAN's electrification strategy and increasing investment in the region to benefit local communities.
AIMA's Indonesian facility began operations in March 2024, and by August, TAILG completed its 40,000-square-meter smart manufacturing plant in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Yadea invested 150 million U.S. dollars in establishing an intelligent production and research hub in Indonesia, with a designed annual capacity of three million vehicles, increasing its presence in the Southeast Asian market.
-- Facilitating Africa's transition to green transportation
Many African countries have been promoting use of electric motorcycles in recent years, with Chinese electric two-wheelers playing a significant role.
Spiro, an emerging Kenyan electric vehicle company, has become the largest electric vehicle producer in Africa thanks to its cooperation with Horwin, a Chinese electric motorcycle manufacturer, and thus was enrolled in the list of TIME100 Most Influential Companies in 2024. The company plans to expend its product sale to more African countries including Uganda with a targeted sales volume of 500,000 electric motorcycles in the following five years.
Besides, The Guardian, a Tanzanian media outlet, commended Chinese companies for their expertise in electric two-wheelers and their contribution to Africa's green mobility transition by delivering affordable, high-quality products.
The global demand for electric two-wheelers is likely to reach 46.30 million units by 2026, and the market size may exceed 44 billion U.S. dollars by 2029, as predicted by a think tank. (Edited by Yang Linlin with Xinhua Silk Road, linlinyanglyn@163.com)
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