Electric bike manufacturers in China's Wuxi see steady growth, promote transition to electric automobiles

"In China, one out of every three electric bikes is made here in Xishan district," said Gu Zhongming, deputy director of the industry and information technology bureau of Xishan district, Wuxi city, east China's Jiangsu Province.

There are 190 electric bike manufacturers and 450 supporting companies in Xishan district, which are able to build 15 million electric bikes annually. Last year, the turnover of the sector reached 57 billion yuan ($7.93 billion) in Xishan.

Xishan has the largest research and development (R&D) and manufacturing base of electric bikes, as well as the largest distribution center of electric bike parts in China, Gu said.

Photo show electric bikes made in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. (Photo/WeChat ID: wuxifabu2013)

Statistics indicated that six of China's 10 top electric bike manufacturers are located in Xishan, including Yadea Group Holdings Ltd., a leading electric bike manufacturer in China, which is headquartered in Xishan.

Electric bikes produced in Xishan have been exported to more than 130 countries and regions around the world. In the last three years, the export value of electric bikes and bike parts from Xishan has maintained an annual growth of more than 30 percent.

However, the prosperity of the electric bike industry in Xishan has not come easily.

Workers assemble electric bikes in a company in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. (Photo/WeChat ID: wuxifabu2013)

In the 1990s, motorbikes became a popular means of transport in China. Xishan, which is located in the hinterland of the Yangtze River Delta, rose to become a famous motorcycle production base in the country.

"Motorcycle production in Xishan gradually started to decline because of a ban on motorcycles and citizens' rising awareness of the need to save energy," Gu explained.

Against this background, many local motorcycle manufacturers started to switch to electric bikes. Due to previous experience associated with manufacturing of bike parts, and having skilled workers and manufacturing facilities, as well as sales channels available for use, they quickly grabbed a share of the market.

By 2004, Xishan accounted for half of the total production of electric bikes in Jiangsu Province.

The local government has made continuous efforts to develop the industry in an orderly manner. Major electric bike manufacturers in Xishan hold more than 1,000 patents in total, and each year, over 100 new products have been launched.

Photo shows a workshop of an electric bike company in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. (Photo/WeChat ID: wuxifabu2013)

"The exports of electric bikes will possibly expand faster in the next five to 10 years," said Lu Jinlong, honorary president of the Jiangsu Bicycle and Electric Vehicle Association.

Today, Xishan is also making vigorous efforts to plan to develop new energy vehicles and internet of vehicles, among other industries.

Brilliance Xinri New Energy Automotive Co., Ltd., a new energy electric vehicles company held by Xinri (Wuxi) Development Co., Ltd., is the only new energy automobile manufacturer in Wuxi. An executive from the company revealed that the first phase of the company's factory, which is located in Xishan district and occupies an area of nearly 400 mu (26.7 hectares), is equipped with a complete production line, and is able to produce 100,000 electric automobiles a year.

Xishan plans to promote the transition from electric bikes to self-driving vehicles and smart vehicles by improving roadside infrastructure and providing better solutions and services, according to a development plan for the internet of vehicles industry in Wuxi city between 2021 and 2025.