A new species going to sea is taking the lead in the world.
A kind of bicycle called ebike (electric bicycle) is becoming a fashionable item for European and American people to travel in short distance. Ebike is a kind of two wheel short distance travel tool. based on the traditional bicycle, it relies on the battery as the auxiliary energy, realizing the electromechanical integration of motor, controller, battery and other components and display instrument system.
The price is between 1000-3000 dollars, twice the speed of ordinary bicycles, and it is easier to climb uphill. These characteristics make ebike popular in Europe and the United States. Adhering to the label of carbon neutral, consumer electronics and short distance electric travel, ebike has almost stepped into all the concepts pursued by the current primary market.
Tencent, the "king of investment", also likes this track. On November 7, according to Tianyan's data, Tencent invested in TENWAYS, the brand of Shenzhen Shifang Sports Science and Technology Co., Ltd. This ebike brand has already obtained the Pre-A round of financing from Hillhouse Venture Capital.
Maybe many people in China are not familiar with ebike, but this new fashion travel item has been sold well abroad.
According to Deloitte data, the sales of ebikes in Europe and North America increased from 2.5 million to 6.4 million in 2017-2021, an increase of 156% in four years. According to the prediction of European Bicycle Manufacturers Association and others, the global sales scale of electric bicycles will be about 7 million in 2020, and the European market sales volume is expected to reach 12 million by 2025, with an annual compound growth rate of more than 20%.
China has natural technological advantages in producing ebike. In recent years, Chinese enterprises have made rapid progress in the fields of motors, batteries and controllers, and have gained the equal voice with international first-line manufacturers.
The core technology of electric bicycle is battery and torque sensor. The battery mainly affects the endurance; Torque sensing is a precise technology, which has a relatively high technical barrier and has a greater impact on the performance of electric power assistance.
At present, the internationally famous motor manufacturers mainly include Yamaha and Panasonic. China Bafang Co., Ltd. also has a relatively mature torque sensor technology. It has become a leading manufacturer of electric power assisted motors in the world. It has many overseas medium and large electric scooter brands and domestic and foreign vehicle assembler customers, and has established cooperative relationships with many international brands.
Secondly, China is one of the three major bicycle supply chain bases in the world, and has the soil for ebike production. China is one of the main OEM sites for foreign high-end bicycle brands, and has formed three major bicycle OEM production bases centering on Jiangsu in East China, Guangdong in South China, and Tianjin in Central China.
As the main position of global consumer electronic products, China has a great chance to create a global ebike brand by virtue of its supply chain and manufacturing advantages.
However, in the future, ebike may continue the competitive route of the consumer electronics industry and establish brand standards and service patterns from the fight of price war. There is no red sea in the market competition of consumer products, only a sea of blood. The balance of products, channels, operations, after-sales and other aspects further tests an enterprise's comprehensive organizational capacity.