AIMA Electric Bicycle
SHANGHAI, China – The strong focus on Europe with European styled e-bikes was striking when visiting the booths of Aima, Tianjin Golden Wheel or Battle at the 26th International Bicycle Fair in Shanghai. The show that after 4 consumer days closed its doors earlier today indicated that these multi-million electric bike makers are now shifting their focus to Europe as their business in China is hampered by e-bike bans in the biggest cities and as their home market gets saturated.
AIMA, a multi-million e-bike maker in China’s, sells such Shimano STEPS equipped e-bikes for about 1, 000 USD. – Photo Bike Europe
The 26th International Bicycle Fair (Motorcycles are no longer mentioned in the official title of the show) is a consumer show. However, the look and feel of the Shanghai Show is like a trade fair. Not only because test tracks that were still there last year and for which the huge showground provides ample space, were banned this year.
Also the e-bikes displayed by the already mentioned biggest Chinese makers are unlike the ones sold in China. Such scooter-like e-bikes where hardly presented. What was there were European city bike styled e-bikes or e-MTB’s; almost all fitted with Shimano’s STEPS or Bafang’s Max Drive mid-motors.
Prices for 25/km e-bikes and e-MTBs
The electric bikes on display at Aima, Tianjin Golden Wheel, Battle, Phoenix and by other majors from China showed that they all do where the Chinese are renowned for; making copies of what others present. The city styled 25km/h – 250W e-bikes that come with Nexus 7 or 8 or the e-MTBs (in a somewhat lesser sophisticated look and spec) are all in Europe sellable products. Price wise such a city styled 25km/h – 250W e-bike is offered with Bafang Max Drive system for about 750 USD (€ 660) and with STEPS (complete system including Nexus 8) for about 1, 000 USD (€ 880).
‘Getting on top of the world’
Is the Chinese industry with such prices able to, “Get on top of the world in no time, ” as China Bicycle Association (CBA) Vice Chairman Lu Jinlong said in a phone interview with Sixth Tone; a popular news site in China? The CBA official said that in a comment on the current e-bike bans in the big Chinese cities and his view on how the industry is to react on that.
