The motorcycle market is packed with global players. Some come with an expertise in engineering, some in design, others in historical roots, and with the onset of electric motos, brands of late also seem to come with the extra edge of modern-day innovation. But only one two-wheeler company can boast of being the world’s largest EV manufacturer (by volume): Yadea.
The Chinese company sells more than 6 million electric two-wheelers in more than 80 countries every year. In comparison, America’s biggest electric vehicle (EV) company, Tesla, sold under 2 million units globally last year: 1,789,226 to be precise.
Wuxi-based Yadea recently unveiled four motorcycles at the freshly concluded Motorcycle Live show, with the intention of bringing them all to Europe. The roll-out starts with the UK, thanks to a distribution deal with British tech mobility startup True Enterprises, which will take responsibility for sales and support.
The four Yadea models on display at the expo were the GFX – an entry-level moped, Owin – a no-frills commuter scooter, Velax – a modern-styled urban scooter, and Keeness – a proper electric motorcycle.
Starting with the GFX, it’s a compact e-moped that’s aimed at the micromobility space. It comes with around 30 miles (48 km) of range – although you’d be cruising at a mere 28 mph (45 km/h) top speed.
Of course, it’s not meant to compete with a Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R; rather, it’s meant to get you around the city as an alternative to ebikes, with the ability to haul some stuff around as well, being able to carry around 400 lb (180 kg) of weight around.
Next is the Owin, a rather conventionally styled classic European scooter. It comes with the same top speed as the GFX, but offers a better range of around 50 miles (80 km).
Being more of a classic scooter, you get more space for storage and improved overall comfort. There are also features like cruise control and reverse assist that Yadea offers in the Owin in other markets, but we’re not yet sure if they’ll make their way to the Western models, too.
Then, there’s the more radically styled Velax e-scooter. It comes with the same 50-mile (80 km) range, but it goes considerably faster, with a top speed of 68 mph (110 km/h).
It’s not just better styled but also comes with more torque – 130 lb.ft (176 Nm) compared to Owin’s 92 lb.ft (125 Nm). Hardware gets a bump, too. For instance, there are disc brakes front and back compared to a disc/drum brake setup on the Owin.
The top offering here is the Keeness – the only motorcycle among all four EVs that Yadea is launching in the UK. You get the same 68 mph (110 km/h top speed), but there’s far more range on offer: 80 miles (128 km).
It's powered by a 7-kW mid-drive motor that delivers around 221 lb.ft (300 Nm) of torque. The bike rolls on 17-inch tires, which Yadea claims are “puncture resistant,” and comes with features like app-based anti-theft, vehicle movement alert, geo-fencing, GPS tracking, and keyless unlocking.
All of these e-motos come with a two-year warranty, anti-theft tech, removable batteries, GPS tracking, and connectivity as standard. The difficulty with removable batteries is that, compared to traditional EV-charging facilities, battery switching stations are still pricey and lack standardization – but True co-founder and Chairman, Lloyd Miller, told Zag Daily that his company is seeking collaboration opportunities with councils and businesses to roll out supporting infrastructure.
To begin with though, True and Yadea will target both private riders and the fleet and rental segments. The company is already expanding to other markets, starting with Budapest, Milan, Munich, and Zurich, per Yadea’s UK and Europe representative, Peng Liu.
What’s most interesting here is how the company has priced these two-wheelers for now. The GFX is priced at £2,200, the Owin at £2,700, Velax at £3,900, and the Keenes at £5,900 in the UK. That translates to $2,905, $3,566, $5,151, and $7,792 per direct conversion in US Dollars.
So far, there’s no word on a potential US entry. But considering Yadea’s wide range of electric two wheelers, you can never say never.
Source: True/Yadea
