Xishan District in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province is known as the “Hometown of Electric Vehicles in China.” One out of every three electric vehicles in the country is produced here. Today, electric vehicles “Made in Wuxi” are gaining popularity in the global market, with an average of 2.4 vehicles per minute being exported worldwide from this region.
So, how are these “little e-bikes” making their way globally? Let’s look at the findings from an investigation in Wuxi.
How are “Little E-Bikes” Conquering the Global Market?
Within the Xishan Electric Vehicle Industrial Park, a delegation from Hungary was frequently seen giving thumbs-up and taking photos for social media. The delegation of over 30 people included both existing clients and new clients referred by them.
In the test drive area of one company, a British businessman named Lloyd was enthusiastically trying out a new model of electric motorcycle. He and his wife are preparing to open an electric motorcycle sales company in London and came specifically to Wuxi to make purchases.
Not far away, at another company, a Pakistani businessman named Norman was inspecting the products very carefully. Being familiar with China, he understands the importance of comparing options and had visited almost every electric vehicle company in the park. At this particular company, which, while not the largest, is known for its innovation, he and his team spent a full three hours.
High-quality products have attracted wave after wave of overseas buyers, leading to an expansion into new markets. Despite a challenging global trade environment, the export value of electric vehicles from Xishan District, Wuxi, grew by 36.5% year-on-year in the first eight months of this year.
How do “Little E-Bikes” go from Wuxi to the World?
What makes these seemingly simple “little e-bikes” so attractive to discerning global buyers? What are the secret weapons of Wuxi’s electric vehicle companies? Let’s continue with the investigation.
How much technology can be packed into one electric vehicle? Upon entering an electric vehicle company in Xishan District, a prominent wall filled with patents immediately catches the eye. With an annual R&D investment exceeding 200 million yuan, the company holds over 2,400 national patents in the electric vehicle field.
In the R&D center, the company’s newly developed high-performance flat-wire hub motor was observed. The introduction of this product directly addresses a key issue for overseas customers: motors burning out during use. This has significantly enhanced the product’s competitiveness in international markets, leading to a 50% sales increase in Southeast Asia this year.
Within the industrial park, another company boasting over 2,000 patents is already pushing technological boundaries, working on achieving self-balancing, autonomous operation for two-wheeled electric vehicles without supports.
Over the past three years, R&D expenditure in Xishan’s electric vehicle industry has grown by an average of 19% annually. Among scale-enterprises, the average annual growth has been 22.3%, leading to the establishment of technological barriers in core areas like motors and batteries. In the first half of this year alone, the Wuxi electric vehicle industrial cluster added 548 newly authorized patents.
In the company’s R&D center, the latest generation of graphene lead-acid batteries was seen, which makes the batteries more durable, increasing their lifespan by 50%. Sodium batteries, which are safer and charge faster, are also under development. In the near future, these will allow electric vehicles
