Scooter: Niu launches with ultralight pedelec scooter

The Chinese scooter specialist Niu is presenting its updated product range at Europe's largest two-wheeler trade fair, EICMA 2018 in Milan. All of the brand's scooters are built in collaboration with Bosch, Panasonic, and Vodafone. The next generation of "intelligent e-scooters" is specifically designed for the European consumer. The NGT and M+ models are being launched following NIU's first global pre-sale campaign on Indiegogo.com. The NGT and M+ are powered by 3000-watt and 1200-watt Bosch motors, respectively, and can reach top speeds of up to 70 km/h. Thanks to their high range, they are expected to run for a week in the city on a single battery charge.

Compared to the N-Series and M-Series models, the UPro stands out with a simpler design and a lightweight total weight of 60 kg, which is preferred by urban commuters. The model is equipped with an 800-watt Bosch motor, keyless ignition, a motor lock on the e-motor, and a removable five-kilogram Panasonic lithium-ion battery and is priced from 1,899 euros. The manufacturer is also introducing the slimmed-down version of the UPro for the first time, the U-Mini (UM). The UM weighs 39 kg and is designed to offer "lighter" and "freer" handling. Equipped with identical technology and the same battery as the UPro, the lightweight scooter is intended to bridge the gap between an electric scooter and an e-bike, thanks to innovative pedaling: it can switch freely between the fixed UM pedal and the riding pedal. The UM is available in China and is also expected to come to Europe.

Targeting sharing fleets, cargo variant for delivery services

NIU is also expanding into the B2B market with the N-Sharing scooter. The N-Sharing scooter has the same specifications as the NIU N-Series but is equipped with two Panasonic 60V 29Ah batteries, which together provide a power output of 3.48 kW. NIU's software is optimized to work with the industry's fleet management programs, including Fleetbird, Invers, and Vulog. Since 2017, NIU has been involved in several exchange projects with numerous companies in various countries and cities, including GoUrban in Vienna, Movo in Madrid (founded by Cabify), and Scooty Brussels and Antwerp (founded by Europcar).

The N-Cargo, a revised N-Series aimed at commercial use, has also been newly developed to support the growing delivery service industry. With a newly reinforced rear box mount, the N-Cargo provides the necessary speed and performance. "This is the first time NIU is presenting its entirely new product range at a single event in Europe. We have brought our entire product range to gather insights and feedback on Italian and European mobility needs," explains Token Hu, Vice President of R&D at NIU Technologies.

What does this mean?

It is truly remarkable what the young Chinese company has accomplished in just four years. It is equally impressive how quickly and consistently the company keeps moving forward, bringing established partners such as Bosch, Panasonic, and Vodafone on board. Urban mobility is being reinvented, and at an affordable price for everyone. We are eager to see when the cleverly designed UM will arrive in Europe.