Chinese firm Okawa Motor Technology is set to expand its presence overseas with the opening of its first e-bike motor assembly line in Europe.
The highly automated assembly line, currently being built, will be shipped to Anadia in central Portugal with production expected to begin in early 2025. Okawa selected Anadia due to its close proximity to several e-bike assemblers, neatly addressing the vulnerability of long supply chains exposed in recent years.
“Customers are open for a change in order to prevent products not being available for a long time,” explained Okawa CEO Luca Du.
[See more: Chinese battery firm CALB leads new foreign investment in Portugal]
Okawa Motor Technology entered the European market three years ago, not long after its founding in 2020 by Du. It came out of Yadea, China’s largest producer of electric two-wheelers, which still holds a small share in Okawa.
Okawa takes an exacting approach to design and manufacturing, applying automotive industry standards to its e-bike systems and implementing rigorous quality control to ensure the quality and durability of its products.
It also offers a subscription-based business model that provides for longer service life, consistent service management and end-to-end recycling. For example, if a motor breaks down, European customers can send it to the company’s service centre in Amersfoort, the company’s European base in the Netherlands, for a complete overhaul. But customers won’t have to wait on repairs, instead receiving one of the motors in stock to keep them moving.
