Supply Chain Under Pressure – Chinese Factories Go 24/7

For every electric scooter sold in Europe in mid-2020, there was a factory in China working around the clock. The unprecedented demand surge tested the limits of the world's largest micromobility supply chain, exposing both its strengths and vulnerabilities.

The Production Crunch

By June 2020, the situation in Chinese manufacturing hubs was extraordinary. Frame suppliers that typically operated single shifts had switched to 24-hour production. Assembly lines that normally required three days to fulfill orders now needed a week or more.

SAVA, a Chinese bicycle brand selling into Europe through AliExpress, exemplified the pressure. "Orders have increased more than 30% month-over-month since April," said Guo Zhenhe, SAVA's AliExpress manager. "We used to ship within three days of an order; now customers wait at least a week" .

Sheng Milo's experience was even more dramatic. Orders in May doubled compared to April. "Our workers are working overtime every day until midnight," operations manager He Chong reported in early June. "Orders are still booked out a month in advance. We're doubling our factory space and hiring as fast as we can" .

The Tariff Challenge: Navigating Trade Barriers

Despite the demand surge, Chinese manufacturers faced significant headwinds. Since July 2018, the European Union had imposed anti-dumping duties of up to 84% on Chinese e-bikes, a protectionist measure designed to shield European manufacturers from what Brussels viewed as unfairly priced competition .

The impact was stark. EU e-bike imports from mainland China plummeted from 660,000 units in 2018 to just 107,000 units in 2019-an 84% decline .

Savvy Chinese manufacturers found workarounds. Some, like SAVA, established assembly operations in Poland, where labor costs were higher but tariff barriers were eliminated -2. Others shifted production to Taiwan (China), Vietnam, or Turkey, which faced lower or zero EU tariffs.

E-Scooters: A Different Story

Electric scooters faced a simpler trade landscape. Unlike e-bikes, which were subject to complex anti-dumping measures, most e-scooters could be exported directly to Europe without punitive tariffs. This regulatory distinction made e-scooters an attractive category for Chinese manufacturers seeking to capitalize on the 2020 demand surge.

Janobike, an e-scooter specialist, took full advantage. The company used overseas warehouses in Spain to achieve rapid delivery-24 hours to Spanish customers, 3-5 days to other European countries. This logistics advantage, combined with competitive pricing, helped Janobike capture significant market share during the boom .

Quality and Compliance: The New Frontier

As European demand surged, so did regulatory scrutiny. German ABE certification, French road-legal requirements, and Italian registration rules all demanded compliance. Chinese manufacturers who had invested in meeting these standards reaped the rewards.

For brands like KUKIRIN, which had been building compliance into their products since the late 2010s, 2020 represented validation. The companies that had treated European regulations as an afterthought found themselves locked out of the fastest-growing markets, while those with ABE-certified products and CE markings captured premium pricing.

Looking Ahead: Sustainability of the Boom

Industry observers in mid-2020 were already questioning whether the surge was sustainable. Some argued that the boom was temporary-a one-time response to pandemic fears and government stimulus that would fade as COVID-19 receded .

Others saw longer-term structural shifts. European cities were using the crisis to permanently reallocate street space from cars to bikes and scooters. Employers were rethinking commute subsidies. And millions of Europeans who had never considered electric mobility were now daily users.

The consensus, even in June 2020, was that while growth rates would moderate, the pandemic had permanently expanded the micromobility market. The question was not whether the boom would end, but how much of the new demand would prove durable.

For KUKIRIN and other Chinese manufacturers, the imperative was clear: scale production to meet current demand, but invest in quality and compliance to retain customers once the subsidies faded and the panic buying subsided.

Conclusion: 2020 as Inflection Point

Looking back from today, 2020 stands as a clear inflection point for the European micromobility market. Before the pandemic, electric scooters and bicycles were growing steadily but remained niche products for early adopters and committed environmentalists.

After 2020, they became mainstream.

The pandemic achieved what years of environmental campaigning could not: it persuaded millions of Europeans to try two-wheeled electric transport. And once they experienced the convenience, cost savings, and freedom of micromobility, many never returned to their pre-pandemic commuting habits.

For Chinese manufacturers like KUKIRIN, 2020 was both challenge and opportunity. The demand surge tested supply chains and exposed vulnerabilities. But those who navigated the crisis-maintaining quality while scaling production, achieving compliance while controlling costs-emerged stronger, with expanded market share and brand recognition that would fuel growth for years to come.