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I recently took a trip to China, where I had the opportunity to visit one of Yadea’s several global factories used to produce a wide range of light electric vehicle models and styles. As the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer, it was a chance to see how the most popular forms of EVs – namely e-bikes, e-scooters, and electric three-wheelers, are built in sophisticated factories featuring high-level quality control processes. The experience was thoroughly eye-opening, and blew my expectations away!

In fact, one of the biggest surprises of my time at the factory was just how much effort is put into quality control along the way. It was a magnitude that, frankly, I was surprised to see.

I don’t mean that as a slight. It’s just that, like most people, I was probably a bit misinformed before this trip. The term “Chinese manufacturing” makes most of us in the West think of cost reductions and competitive pricing – not heavily automated manufacturing and multi-tier quality assurances. But with Yadea’s massive size has come the opportunity to deeply invest in the hallmarks we previously associated with a bygone era of Western manufacturing.

The factory is already huge, but there’s more expansion planned in the next few years

And I’m not exaggerating when I refer to Yadea as “massive.” This was just one of eight global factories, and this one spanned over 1,000 acres (that’s around 750 American football fields). And this is just Phase I of the factory, which was only built a few years ago. Phases II and III are going to be even bigger, adding much more manufacturing capacity.

Yadea is already a household name all over Asia, where it dominates the markets for scooters, bikes, and other micromobility devices. Last year, over 16 million two-wheeled EVs rolled off the company’s production lines. Yadea refers to itself as the world’s largest electric motorbike manufacturer, but it is also the second-largest motorbike maker, period. With 16M annual production volume, that puts the company within striking distance of overtaking Honda’s 18M annual units. And that’s even more impressive considering Yadea exclusively produces electric vehicles, unlike Honda which nearly exclusively produces combustion engine motorbikes.

Yadea now has a growing presence in Europe and has recently set its sights on a major expansion into North America. That means that Americans are set soon to get access to some of Yadea’s impressively designed and built light electric vehicles (though mostly starting with lighter electric bicycles and scooters).

Check out my video below to see inside Yadea’s factory yourself and to join me for my test drives on several of Yadea’s e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mopeds, and e-trikes. You’re not going to want to miss it!

My tour started in just one corner of the sprawling Jinzhai factory, where I watched as rows of plastic injection molding machines worked in rhythm to pump out various scooter-shaped bits and pieces. This is where many of the body panels, shrouds, and other molded components of Yadea’s electric scooters and e-mopeds are produced. Many smaller companies outsource the production of these types of components, but Yadea does it all in-house to maintain better control over the processes and thus the quality of the parts.

The machines run largely autonomously, though a few workers monitor the machines and can respond to any area, if necessary. I poked my head into a few of the lines and saw some machines churning out recognizable parts like shrouds around the handlebar displays and cargo areas under moped seats, with each completed component moseying down a conveyor belt towards a finished parts pile.

The building was massive and already housed 24 injection molding machines, each the size of my college dorm room. However the area of the building that was currently storing stacks of just-produced parts was already taped off with sections where more injection molding machines would soon be installed. They told me that there are plans to operate 60 of these massive machines here. Yadea continues to roll out new EV models and increase its sales around the world, and that means it is always ramping up its own internal component production capacity to match.

From there we hopped aboard a cute little electric shuttle bus and moved to another building in the complex where welding takes place.

This particular welding building was set up for Yadea’s three-wheelers, which are basically the lightweight farm trucks of China. In the same way you see a bunch of clapped-out F-150 pickup trucks all over rural America, you see these electric three-wheelers all over rural China. That’s why, despite Yadea’s scooters and mopeds being built largely for both the domestic and international markets, their three-wheelers are pretty much only sold in China.

I think they could be incredibly powerful utility vehicles in the US, but that’s another issue for another article. For now, I got the chance to see how these local versions of a pickup truck are made. And I was surprised by just how automated the production is.

Robotic welding seems to take care of most of the fabrication, with the vehicles going from steel tubes and sheet metal to mostly formed trikes without ever touching the ground. Laser cutting ensures each raw sub-component is cut to the exact right size and has smooth finished edges. The pieces are passed from machine to machine, sometimes by robots and sometimes by human hands, until full frames come out the other side.

Robots juggle components as they handle various cutting and welding tasks

When the frames are finished being welded, multiple steps of electrophoresis for corrosion resistance and then robotic painting await the finished pieces.

I wasn’t able to go through the actual painting area because it’s closed off to ensure a clean environment for the robotic painting machines, but I did get to see the massive environmental protection equipment that filters the air leaving the painting section of the factory, ensuring that any harmful emissions from the aerosolized paint and treatment chemicals are scrubbed and don’t just get pumped out into the atmosphere.

Again, I definitely went into this tour with some preconceptions that turned out to be false. That doesn’t mean there isn’t polluting heavy industry in some areas, but modern factories like Yadea’s take great pains to reduce emissions. The air around the factory was perfectly clean, the grass was greener than my grass back home, and the courtyards around the building were so nice I would have sat and had a picnic in them if there was time. The effort made to create a clean and comfortable work environment pays dividends now and into the future.

Robotic welding arms operate in tandem with factory supervisors

Next, we moved on to yet another massive building in the factory complex, this time where assembly of several different electric scooter and e-moped models takes place. It’s a bit hard to gauge scale inside these huge buildings, but I’m told the building was around 450,000 square feet, or roughly 10 acres. It had a legit football field inside of it, but more on that in a moment.

There were 18 assembly lines in the building, each producing a different model of e-bike, e-scooter, or e-moped. Racks of frames that have been welded in another part of the factory roll in at one end of each production line, where they are scanned and loaded onto the line. The bare frames move along the line as workers install all of the components.

In a matter of minutes, the empty frames receive their motors, controllers, batteries, wiring, lights, body panels, seats, and more. A ballet of suspended racks of components automatically lower themselves from the ceiling at precisely the right location for workers to pluck the parts from the air and install them on the scooters. Everything is designed to be as efficient and comfortable as possible, with very little need to bend over or strain.

From what I could tell, a new electric bike rolled off the line around once every 25-30 seconds or so, while an electric moped rolled off the line every 40 seconds.

It looked like it took around 20 minutes for a bare moped frame to work its way down the assembly line and roll off the ramp at the end as a fully functional electric scooter.

The three-wheelers seem to take longer, with one e-trike rolling off the line around every five minutes.

From there, still, more workers receive the scooters and begin going through a several dozen-point inspection to ensure that everything has been assembled correctly and all of the scooter’s functions are working properly. Things like wheel alignment, torque spec, electrical connections, lighting/sound levels, and many other important areas are all examined as part of the end-of-line quality inspections.

Once the vehicles get the seal of approval, they’re walked over to yet another aerial lift that slowly plucks them from the ground and soars them through the air to another part of the factory.

Each of the buildings is connected by a series of catwalk-style sky bridges. There, the tracks suspending the finished vehicles can pass from building to building without actually going outside. In this way, parts and vehicles can move between different areas of the sprawling complex even while it is raining or snowing.

I mentioned a football field in the middle of this factory building, and I wasn’t kidding. There’s an entire turf field in there. In fact, it used to be real grass, but that required opening the skylights for good sun exposure, which the workers said made the building quite hot in the summer. So instead, they turned it into a turf field.

It gets used for a number of different events, from playing sports on breaks to hosting company events and unveiling. When I passed through, there were several models of electric scooters still set up on the field from a recent event. You can see the field in my video at the top of this article.

There’s also a library at the end of the field, featuring around a dozen shelves of books set up in a rectangle to create a little reading room complete with tables and chairs. Workers can read the books there or they can take any books they like (there’s no charge and the books are regularly replaced by the company).

Robotically laser-cut frame members are smooth and perfect, every time

The last area I had the chance to see in the factory was a staging zone for finished three-wheelers that were ready to be trucked away to local stores (Yadea counts over 40,000 brand stores around the world). There was also a display set up showing raw materials from various stages of production, from bare steel tubes to coated frame members and painted panels. They highlighted the quality of each step, such as how the bare frame tubes are laser cut so precisely that the edges are smooth and feel like a factory edge.

Despite wearing my journalist/YouTuber hat most of the time these days, I do in fact have a mechanical engineering degree on my desk that I occasionally get a chance to dust off. As a younger man, I also spent years working as a machinist in a machine shop and I previously ran my own manufacturing operations, so I have at least a cursory knowledge of what I was looking at for each production step around the factory.

I can tell you that of all the light electric vehicle factories I’ve visited in several countries around the world, I’ve never seen an operation run more professionally than what I saw at Yadea. The attention to detail, the level of automation, and even the consideration of workers’ needs, it was all simply above and beyond anything I’ve seen before.

And that was all before lunch!

With the first part of the tour finished, we headed to the employee cafeteria where I got to choose whatever I wanted from a wide a la carte menu. This also surprised me.

While I didn’t expect the workers to be eating gruel, I was caught off-guard at just how good the food was! And this wasn’t some visiting guest cafeteria (many factories have VIP cafeterias off to the side, and I’ve eaten in those before). I was eating where all the factory workers eat, the people’s cafeteria, the great equalizer. And I know that because my entire lunch was spent with hundreds of people staring at me as the only white guy in the room. I definitely caught a few folks taking pictures of me. It’s cool though, I just told them I’m Keanu Reeves.

After lunch, and having already seen how and where Yadea’s vehicles are produced, I had a blast spending the rest of the afternoon test-driving most of them!

The factory tour was impressive, but it’s on the company’s vehicle testing area and proving grounds that I had the most fun! To hear how that went, you’ll have to stay tuned in for Part Two of this story, coming in another couple days (or you can just watch the video at the top of this article, which includes both parts together for a major sneak peak!).

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Solid-state EV batteries are on the way — Mercedes’ partner plans deliveries by 2025

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September 18, 2025

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Solid-state EV batteries are on the way — Mercedes' partner plans deliveries by 2025

Solid-state-EV-batteries-2025

Solid-state EV batteries will be here before you know it, Mercedes-backed Farasis Energy claims. During a recent investor meeting, Farasis said it will begin delivering solid-state EV batteries by the end of 2025.

Farasis Energy will deliver solid-state EV batteries in 2025

The new battery tech, promising to unlock more driving range, faster charging, and longer life-spans, is finally moving from the lab to the real world.

Farasis Energy confirmed during the meeting, held on September 15, that its all-solid-state EV batteries are now entering pilot production and delivery. The company is building a 0.2 GWh pilot line for the new sulfide-based solid-state batteries, with deliveries set to begin by the end of 2025.

In a filing released the following day, viewed by IT Home, the company said it’s fully committed to bringing the new battery tech to market.

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Farasis uses a high-nickel ternary cathode and a high-silicon anode, claiming an energy density of 400 to 500 Wh/kg.

The report said R&D has progressed “smoothly,” and the company plans to begin deliveries by the end of 2025. Initially, they will be delivered in small batches to select customers.

Solid-state-EV-batteries-2025
(Source: Farasis Energy)

Meanwhile, Farasis’ second-gen sulfide-based all-solid-state EV batteries are moving past the tech development phase. The second-gen batteries have an energy density of 500 Wh/kg, which would be among the highest in the industry. It’s expected to roll out in 2026.

In 2027, the company plans to launch the third-generation, promising to unlock an energy density of over 500 Wh/kg.

Solid-state-EV-batteries-2025
Mercedes EQS modified with a solid-state battery (Source: Mercedes-Benz)

The report claims that the semi-solid-state batteries only cost 5% to 10% more than liquid batteries, and Farasis expects shipments to ramp up significantly next year.

Just this year, Farasis Energy said it has secured new clients, including XPeng, GAC Group, and “a leading domestic new energy commercial vehicle client” for its core products, SPS (Super Pouch Solution) batteries, and semi-solid state batteries.

Solid-state-EV-batteries-2025
Farasis Energy all-solid-state EV battery (Source: Farasis Energy)

The company plans to expand overseas and into new segments, including humanoid robots. Farasis is already using all-solid-state batteries in humanoid robots and has sent samples to leading humanoid robot companies.

Mercedes-Benz bought a stake in Farasis Energy in 2020 to secure battery supply for its upcoming electric vehicles.

Mercedes-solid-state-EV-batteries
A modified Mercedes EQS with solid-state batteries travels 750 miles (1,205 km) on a single charge (Source: Mercedes-Benz)

The news comes after Mercedes announced just last week that it drove an EQS, equipped with solid-state batteries, from Stuttgart, Germany, to Malmö, Sweden, covering 750 miles (1,205 km). Mercedes said the vehicle still had another 85 miles of range to go. US-based Factorial Energy supplied the battery cells.

Mercedes’ tech boss, Markus Schäfer, called solid-state batteries “a true gamechanger” for electric vehicles. Schäfer added the new battery tech “delivers not only in the lab but also on the road.”

Farasis Energy, Mercedes-Benz, and Factorial Energy are just a few of the companies racing to unlock the “holy grail” of EV batteries. Toyota, Volkswagen, Stellantis, and Honda, to name a few, are aiming to launch solid-state batteries by the end of the decade. BYD and CATL are reportedly aiming for around 2027.

Earlier this week, SK On said it plans to commercialize all-solid-state batteries by 2029, a year ahead of schedule.


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Bluetti power station + alternator charger bundles up to $1,000 off, Heybike Golden Fall e-bike sale offers $600+ savings, more

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September 18, 2025

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Bluetti power station + alternator charger bundles up to ,000 off, Heybike Golden Fall e-bike sale offers 0+ savings, more

We’ve got plenty of Green Deals to help you enjoy far more in fall, headlined by Bluetti’s power station and alternator charger bundles for on-the-go backup support with exclusive pricing starting from $618. There’s also Heybike’s Golden Fall e-bike sale that you can jump on to travel around your town or beyond and enjoy the changing season – with deals starting from $999. We also have tools from EGO and Husqvarna, as well as some travel-friendly devices like portable water heaters, projectors, and ongoing sales waiting for you below. And don’t forget about all the hangover deals collected at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s Jackery 72-hour sale that dropped the Explorer 2000 Plus 400W solar bundle to a new low, Velotric’s Ride into Fall e-bike Sale, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Bluetti’s power station and alternator charger bundles see up to $1,000 in savings with exclusive pricing from $618

As part of its ongoing Anniversary Power Week Sale, which we’ve touched on for the brand’s outdoor adventure solutions and the full lineup of exclusive Apex 300 deals, Bluetti also has a collection of alternator charger bundles with up to $1,000 in savings that are worth considering for our constant on-the-go readers. Leading the lineup, there is Bluetti’s new Apex 300 Portable Power Station bundled with an Alternator Charger 1 at $1,619.10 shipped, after using the exclusive code 9TO5TOYS10F at checkout for an additional $180 in savings, beating out Amazon’s currently $1,799 pricing. This bundle would fetch 2,699 outside of discounts, with a higher $2,799 pricing at Amazon. Since its release at the top of August, this bundle has only been dropped between $2,099 and $1,799 outside of the exclusive savings on the series that is continuing with this sale. You’ll not only be getting $1,080 cut from the tag, but you’ll be getting the all-time lowest price we have tracked to date. Head below for the full lineup of discounted bundles.

Two quick notes on the deals we’re seeing during Bluetti’s Anniversary Power Week Sale. First, the exclusive code is only eligible on Apex 300 offers, with the full lineup of bundle options available in our original coverage here. Second, purchasing any of the alternator charger bundles below scores members 3x Bluetti Bucks, which can be used for various extra savings and other promotions.

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Whether you’re just enjoying weekend getaways from home or committing to your van life, scoring these power stations with an alternator charger ensures continuous power, especially as you migrate to new destinations. With Bluetti’s Apex 300 power station and alternator charger 1 bundle you’ll be getting the brand’s largest starting setup amongst the bunch, with a 2,764.8Wh LiFePO4 capacity (that’s rated for a 17-year lifespan) that you can invest in over time to expand as high as 58kWh, which can seriously cover home backup needs too. The station dishes out a steady 3,840W stream of power through its 13 port options, surging up to 7,680W and will go higher up to 11.52kW with expanded setups.

Aside from the recharging you’ll get from the bundled alternator charger, there are other options to top off the station’s battery for added versatility, including passthrough charging when connected to a gas generator. Plugging it into any standard AC outlet can put it back to 80% capacity in 45 minutes after you’ve activated its Turbo mode, or you can also use your car’s auxiliary port (if you ever forget the alternator charger), as well as utilizing up to the max 2,400W solar input.

Bluetti’s Anniversary Sale alternator charger bundles:

As I mentioned, we also have some spotlight coverage of Bluetti’s current power station deals and solar generator bundles to power your outdoor adventures – some of which are at new lows – starting from $369. We also have the full lineup of exclusive new lows on the Apex 300 station and its many bundle options starting from $1,529.

man and woman on heybike mars 2.0 e-bikes on beach

Heybike kickstarts the season with its Golden Fall Sale and up to $600 e-bike discounts with FREE gear starting from $999

Heybike has launched its Golden Fall Sale through September 28, which is offering up to $600 off e-bikes on top of the free bundled gear some models receive. Of course, the ride with the most options these days is Heybike’s Mars 2.0 Folding e-bike that starts from $999 shipped, with varying upgraded motor and extra battery bundle options, as well as its new Mars 3.0 Folding e-bike that recently hit the scene. The standard model carries a $1,499 MSRP, though with the frequency of sales from the brand, we often see it dropped down between $1,099 and $999, with occasional falls lower to $899 in short-term flash sales. During this seasonal event, you can hop aboard your own with a $500 discount (and that’s not even counting the bundled front and rear cargo baskets) that provides the second-lowest price we have tracked. Head below for more info on this model, as well as its upgrades/bundles, and the rest of the sale’s lineup.

If you want to learn about the varying capabilities of these Mars e-bikes, or check out the full lineup of deals, be sure to check out our original coverage of this sale here.

man pressing button to wind EGO's 56V 15-inch cordless POWERLOAD string trimmer

This 56V 15-inch EGO cordless string trimmer comes with a POWERLOAD head for easier line replacement at $254

Amazon is offering the EGO Power+ 56V 15-inch Cordless POWERLOAD String Trimmer with 4.0Ah battery for $254.15 shipped. This model usually fetches $299 with no discounts and hasn’t been seeing that many over the year either. The ones we have seen have mostly kept costs above $269, with a short-term fall to $239 in June and the deal we’re seeing today. While it’s not the lowest we’ve tracked in its history, you are still looking at the second-best price of the year with the $45 savings that’s been cut from the tag.

If you want to learn more about this string trimmer, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

husqvarna 330iKE Combi Switch with edger attachment

Get more versatility with Husqvarna’s 330iKE Combi Switch bundled with a lawn edger attachment at $324

Amazon is offering the Husqvarna 330iKE Combi Switch and Lawn Edger Attachment for $324.52 shipped. It’s coming down from its $419 price tag here, with the discounts we’ve been seeing since March having only dropped costs as low as $336. You’re looking at a 23% markdown here while the savings last that cut $94 off the tag for the best price we have tracked in the last 6 1/2 months.

If you want to learn more about this versatile system, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

two men and woman sit outdoors next to van with camplux nano 3 pro portable water heater and camping shower

Get hot water on demand anywhere with Camplux’s Nano 3 Pro portable heater and shower at $340

Looking in on Camplux’s official Amazon storefront, you’ll currently find the brand’s Nano 3 Pro Portable Water Heater and Camping Shower at $339.99 shipped, after clipping the on-page 15% off coupon, and you’ll also be eligible for a FREE dual-fuel portable stove (which you’ll find under the “Benefit items” option to the left side of the page). Fetching $400 without discounts, we saw savings regularly keeping this model between $360 and $342 for most of 2025, though there were two previous falls to this rate in March and April, as well as a drop to its $320 low during July’s Prime Day event. You can pick it up here with $60 slashed from the tag, landing it at the second-lowest price we have tracked. Head below for more on this model and its upgraded counterparts.

If you want to learn more about this handy water heating solution, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

woman pulling out Anker Nebula capsule 3 projector from backpack pocket

Stream on up to a 120-inch 1080p screen anywhere with Anker’s Nebula Capsule 3 Google TV projector at $380

Through the official Anker Amazon storefront, you can pick up the brand’s Nebula Capsule 3 GTV Outdoor Projector for $379.99 shipped. You’d have to shell out $530 for this model at full price, which has been frequently bouncing between $400 and $380 over 2025, save for the one-time $360 Prime Day low back in July. Aside from that one-off deal, you’ll be getting it here at the next-best price with $150 cut from the tag, making it a great chance to add it to your travel kits, camping gear, and more. There’s also the option to grab the more advanced laser projector variant at $579.98 shipped, down from $750.

If you want to learn more about this projector, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

Best Fall EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.


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Panasonic has battery that can give Tesla Model Y 450 miles of range

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2 hours ago

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September 18, 2025

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Panasonic has battery that can give Tesla Model Y 450 miles of range

Panasonic Tesla 4680 battery cells

Panasonic, the Japanese manufacturing giant, says it is working on a new battery cell that can add 90 miles of range to the Tesla Model Y – pushing it to over 450 miles (725 km).

Of course, it could also just use fewer batteries and reduce the weight of the vehicle or other EVs.

Panasonic deserves considerable credit for the electric revolution in the automotive industry this millennium.

When Tesla sought to incorporate Li-ion batteries into electric vehicles, Panasonic was the only battery cell manufacturer to join the effort.

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The partnership helped Panasonic significantly expand its battery business, but Korean and Chinese battery cell manufacturers soon surpassed it.

Now, the company is looking to catch up with a new novel battery chemistry.

Panasonic’s proposed design eliminates the anode during manufacturing. Instead, a lithium metal anode forms naturally inside the cell after the first charge. This approach frees up space for more active cathode materials — nickel, cobalt, and aluminum — increasing capacity without changing the overall cell volume.

The company believes that it will result in a 25% increase in energy density, which could add about 90 miles of range on a Model Y (via Reuters):

If achieved, the improvement would lead to a 25% increase in battery capacity, thus boosting the driving range of Tesla’s most affordable sport-utility vehicle, the Model Y, by almost 90 miles (about 145 km), at current battery pack size, Panasonic said.

Panasonic states that the new battery technology will be available by the end of 2027. It didn’t discuss cost.

Electrek’s Take

I’m always wary of “battery breakthrough” announcements, as they rarely pan out to anything substantial, but if they can deliver a 25% increase in energy density at a reasonable cost with longevity, it could be a winner.

The problem is that new batteries generally fail in one of those aspects.

I hope it’s not the case for this project because competition is good, and I’d like to see Panasonic put some pressure on the Chinese and Korean battery manufacturers.


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