Chinese Appliance Giants Buys Into e-Bike Motor Market
Wuhan, China
Appliance manufacturing giant Midea Group has purchased fellow Chinese company Wuhan Tianteng Power Technology to break into the e-bike market.
Midea Industrial Technology, one of five business sectors of Fortune 500 company Midea Group, indicated it plans to become a key player in the global e-bike market.
It announced at the end of 2021 it will embark on four strategic areas: smart transportation, industrial automation, green energy and consumer appliances.
The purchase of Tianteng Power, also known as TTium Motor Technology, brings two brands of e-bike motors, Welling and Motinova, enabling Midea to get a foothold in the industry.
Midea Industrial Technology itself has 27 research and development centres worldwide and more than 5,500 authorised patents.
A statement by the company said purchasing Tianteng Power would combine Midea Industrial Technology’s research resources with Welling’s cutting-edge motor technology solutions, automotive-grade electronic and electrical component technology, test benches and laboratories, large-scale lean manufacturing systems, and a complete supply chain system.
“Tianteng Power’s rich industry experience and customer resources will also provide ideas and reference for Midea’s existing product updates and technology iterations in the field of industrial technology and smart transportation,” the statement says.
Tianteng provides motors for mid to high-end bicycles in markets including the US, Europe and Japan.
Tianteng Power has provided electric drive system for two-wheel transportation since it was established in 2016. It has independent development capabilities and masters motor design and motor control, structural and industrial design, sensor technology and other key core technologies. Tianteng Power actively explores overseas markets and conducts global layout, and has established modern factories including Wuhan and Vietnam. In addition, global service centers located in the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom are also planned, and Tianteng Power will provide better products and services to global customers. At present, Tianteng Power mainly provides drive system solutions for mid-to-high-end electric bicycles (E-bikes) in Europe, the United States, Japan and other countries.
The Welling brand is positioned at the mid-to-high end, with high-precision sensor technology and integrated control systems that response to pedalling force.
The Motinova brand is focused on the mid-end market and incorporates two series of motors.
Volans motors are designed for urban travel, offering a maximum drive assist ratio of 270%.
Pegasi motors have been produced for mountain bikes, with a maximum drive assist ratio of 320% and a 10-millisecond response speed to suit rough terrain.