Major E-Bike Maker Apologizes After New Design Backlash

Chinese major e-bike maker Yadea apologized for flaws in some of its newly launched national-standard models and said it will make improvements after widespread consumer complaints, according to a company statement on Friday.

Yadea said the issues surrounding its "Maodou" model, such as its inability to carry children and limited storage space, were due to misunderstandings about China's updated e-bike rules.

The new rules require Beidou positioning chips, anti-tampering technology to enforce the 25 kilometers per hour speed cap, and stricter limits on plastic components.

The Wuxi-based company acknowledged that poor coordination between product versions and insufficient design consideration had caused inconvenience for users and issued an apology.

It said the version currently on the market is a "single-rider commuter model," while additional "fashion" and "parent-child" models will be released later.

Yadea said it has so far rolled out 68 models that meet the new national standard and have passed 3C certification, adding that it is accelerating mass production and will continue improving usability, safety and comfort in its designs.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology also addressed the controversy, saying the public dissatisfaction stemmed from a limited number of companies that misunderstood key requirements or failed to consider real-world usage scenarios in their designs.

Regulators have instructed those firms to make rapid adjustments and urged the China Bicycle Association to strengthen industry self-regulation and reinforce proper implementation of the new rules.

The ministry said it will continue to monitor consumer feedback and push manufacturers to increase supply of compliant, user-oriented e-bikes to better meet daily mobility needs.