Updated on May 14, 2022
Electric bike retailer Leitner is one of Australia’s fastest-growing companies, shipping from Melbourne. Our mission is to lower the price of the most recent eBikes so that everyone can enjoy their benefits.
where are leitner electric bikes made
It is not uncommon for electric bike manufacturers to outsource the manufacturing of their products. For the most part, they either design their own bikes to be built elsewhere or import and re-brand e-bikes from other manufacturers. A wide variety of bicycle manufacturers use components from a global supply chain that are rigorously tested for quality. In addition, there are many bicycle brands that simply buy wholesale from a manufacturer without requiring strict quality control or deviation from the standard design.
Almost all e-bike frames are made in Asian factories in China or Taiwan, with only a few exceptions. Are these two markets different in any way, or are they the same? In fact, Taiwan is the world’s largest bike manufacturer, and it produces for some of the most well-known brands, such as Trek, Specialized, QBP, and Tern, all of which have different models and frames that are instantly recognisable for their quality. Taiwan is a major bicycle manufacturing hub. Big buyers and generic brands find China’s mass production of low-cost bikes attractive.
Bicycle enthusiasts are aware of the differences in labour and factory standards between China and Taiwan. Chinese factories produce lower quality frames that break, may not ride as straight or precise, and are not as strict with quality control and waste management in the production of their products. Because electric bikes are touted as being environmentally friendly, buying one that pollutes its local factory environment would be a slap in the face.
Electric Bikes Made in Europe and the United States
It’s true that the more expensive models are made in the United States and Europe. However, as previously stated, many bike manufacturers do not produce e-bikes. German-based Riese and Muller began as a Taiwanese-based manufacturer, but has since shifted production to its own facilities in Germany. Although Raleigh is based in the United Kingdom, it is highly likely that it sources its frames from Taiwan. Germany-based Kalkhoff adheres to certification standards while producing around 500,000 e-bikes per year. Another UK-based manufacturer of bicycle frames is Brompton.
Electric Bikes Made in Tawain
The e-bike export market has traditionally been dominated by Chinese manufacturers, but the mid- to high-end Taiwanese market is quickly catching up to Chinese exports, which are still primarily at the low to mid-end.
Giant is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of e-bikes, with nine factories around the world. Giant, a Taiwanese company founded in 1972, manufactures its own bicycles, including the industry’s only carbon fibre models.
Giant Manufacturing Plant
Carbon frame bikes from Giant have a stellar reputation as the best in the business. Intriguingly, they purchase their carbon in the form of raw spools that resemble carbon thread, and then use their own resin formula to produce wide carbon sheets. They also have their own mines and smelters for aluminium! Research into each factory’s production process, working conditions, and quality standards reveals a high level of precision and care. Bikes for Trek, Specialized [now part of Merida], Schwinn, and Bianchi are among the many brands for which Giant makes or has made bikes in addition to its own line of bikes.
Bikes from China
Generic brands and lower-priced bicycles often feature frames sourced from China. Propel, New Wheel, and other well-known bike shops sell high-quality bicycles that are almost certainly not made in China when you visit them.
The cost of an electric bike is determined solely by its components, such as the type of battery and the motor. As a result, it is not possible to compare the prices of e-bikes, but rather the sets of components that make them up. E-bike manufacturers and suppliers in China often have lax internal quality standards. As a result, the majority of manufacturers are likely to use whatever components are available to them unless the buyer specifically requests otherwise.
The tariffs imposed on Chinese-made e-bikes are an interesting turn of events. European Union tariffs range from 80 to 170 percent, while the United States is contemplating a 25 percent tariff. Taiwanese e-bike manufacturers are in the perfect position to take over the market now that China’s e-bikes have lost their low price and mass production advantage.
