Vitality China Research Tour | 40 seconds to assemble a complete vehicle: Fengxian’s three-wheeled electric motorcycles, from bumpy dirt roads to the global stage

Summary

Feng County in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, has developed a 30-billion-yuan industrial cluster based on the electric three-wheeled motorcycle industry. In the workshop of Xuzhou Keya Electromechanical Co. , Ltd.

, General Manager Wang Zaifeng introduced that the controller is known as the 'brain' of the vehicle, dictating how fast it runs, how much power it has, and how steep a slope it can climb. In 2012, the company was still using German Infineon chips; now it has switched to domestically produced chips made in Nanjing, upgrading from M0 to M4, with computing power increasing 16-fold. Feng County's motors have also evolved from early hub motors that could only go 18 km/h and had single-side drive and tipped over at the slightest bump, to electric drive axles with differentials that can steadily reach 60 km/h, and are now moving toward 80 km/h.

Duan Suping, general manager of Jiangsu Hanbang Vehicle Industry, is most proud of the 'suspended seat'; the technology has applied for patent protection in more than 120 countries worldwide. In Meibang Electric Vehicle's final assembly workshop, more than 300 welding robots can turn out a chassis in as fast as 60 seconds and assemble a complete vehicle in 40 seconds. Last year, its output of complete vehicles across all categories reached 600,000 units, with revenue exceeding 1 billion yuan.

At present, Feng County has more than 1,400 complete-vehicle and parts enterprises banding together into a chain, with annual production capacity exceeding 5 million units. Its core component motors have captured more than 95% of the national market, and its products sell well in more than 100 countries and regions; in Changdian Town, 80% of the labor force is engaged in the electric vehicle industry and supporting trades.

Commentary

Feng County's electric three-wheeled motorcycle industry has gone from 'low-end mobility' to global bestseller status, with vertical supply chain integration and technological iteration at its core. For New Zealand SME owners, this is not just a 'Made in China' story; it also reflects the substitution potential of light electric vehicles in agricultural and pastoral settings. New Zealand farms and horticulture businesses have sustained demand for multifunctional, low-cost transport tools.

Traditional ATVs or pickups have high purchase and maintenance costs, while Feng County products have low unit prices, flexible load capacity, and have already been adapted to Australian ranch scenarios (such as drone coordination), suggesting that New Zealand farmers could evaluate similar solutions to reduce operating expenses. However, note that New Zealand has strict requirements for vehicle safety, emissions, and road regulations, and importers need to confirm whether products have passed local certification (such as NZTA standards), especially the legality of electric three-wheeled motorcycles on public roads. On the other hand, Feng County's shift from Infineon to domestically produced chips for controllers, with greatly improved computing power, shows China's trend toward an independent and controllable supply chain.

New Zealand importers may face shorter delivery cycles and lower costs, but should also be alert to the potential geopolitical impact on chip supply. In addition, local New Zealand light electric vehicle assemblers or distributors should consider cooperating with Feng County enterprises and using their mature component system (motors account for 95% of the national market) to develop customized products, such as torque tuning for hilly terrain or cold-chain delivery modifications. Feng County's annual production capacity of 5 million units and more than 1,400 enterprises clustering together mean buyers have ample choice, but they need to screen manufacturers wi

Keywords: Feng County, electric three-wheeled motorcycle, controller, motor, electric drive axle, industrial cluster, suspension seat, welding robot, export

Source: Xinhua Daily Media Network