NIU KQi 200F launched as new smart electric scooter with folding handlebars
NIU, one of the world’s leading smart electric scooter and micromobility companies, has just launched a new lightweight commuter option, the NIU KQi 200F. Designed for riders who need a balance between portability and performance, the new model introduces folding handlebars – following up on a feature introduced late last year to NIU’s popular KQi scooter line.
The NIU KQi 200F stands out immediately for its compactness. Thanks to the foldable handlebars and stem, it can easily fit into tight spaces like office corners, public transit, or the trunk of a car.
While nearly all electric scooters can fold at the stem, wide scooter handlebars still tend to stick out and limit storage options. With folding handlebars, the KQi 200F’s widest component is likely its deck, measuring just 6.9 inches (17.5 cm) at its widest, making it ultra slim and easier to stuff into tight spaces.
Under the hood, the KQi 200F carries a 48V 7.8Ah battery that provides 365Wh of stored capacity. That’s enough for up to 33.6 miles (54 km) of range on a single charge. The scooter is powered by a 350W rear hub motor, which peaks at 700W with 22 Nm of torque, giving it enough oomph to tackle hills and achieve a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h).
The motor offers a significant boost compared to NIU’s KQi2 Pro scooter, including 7% more speed, 33% better hill climbing, 17% more power, and 38% more torque. The battery also offers 35% more range.
Weighing in at 44 pounds (20 kg), it’s not the lightest scooter on the market, but it’s a reasonable weight given the scooter’s relatively high performance compared to more basic scooters. NIU also rates the KQi 200F for riders up to 265 pounds (120 kg).
The KQi 200F comes with 10 x 2.3-inch pneumatic tires, which should offer a smoother ride than the smaller or solid tires found on many ultra-portable scooters. The front suspension fork also helps contribute to that smoother ride. The scooter includes dual-wheel braking with a front disc brake combined with rear regenerative braking for enhanced stopping power. NIU claims a stopping distance of just 14 feet (4.2 meters) at moderate speeds.
The scooter also includes a bright LED headlight, taillight, and integrated side lighting for nighttime safety, along with handlebar-mounted turn signals to increase the chances of cars actually seeing and correctly interpreting the turn signal lights.
On the tech side, the scooter connects to the NIU app via Bluetooth, allowing riders to lock the scooter remotely, customize riding modes, track rides, and monitor battery health. An LED dashboard display on the handlebars shows speed, battery level, and riding mode at a glance. And for customization on the hardware side, NIU offers multiple grip tape options allowing riders to play with the scooter’s aesthetics (though the scooter still only comes in a single color that I like to call NIU Gray).
The KQi 200F is priced at $799, but carries a $100 discount for $699 during its launch, positioning it competitively against other mid-range electric scooters. In addition to competitive pricing, NIU is banking on its reputation as a major smart scooter company (known for both standing and seated scooters) to differentiate itself in the increasingly crowded market.
For those unfamiliar with NIU, the company was founded in 2014 and quickly made a name for itself, producing connected electric mopeds and scooters for urban commuters. In fact, we recently took a trip to the company’s factory to get a peek behind the scenes at how they produce millions of these smart e-scooters.
NIU now operates in over 50 countries and has sold millions of vehicles worldwide. In the US, NIU is best known for its standing electric scooters and expanding line of commuter e-mopeds or seated e-scooters, but in Europe and Asia, their seated e-scooters dominate their lineup.
Electrek’s Take
By offering folding handlebars on the KQi 200F, NIU seems to be targeting city dwellers who may have limited storage space or need to mix scooter commuting with public transportation. It’s an interesting move, especially as demand for last-mile solutions continues to grow and cities worldwide encourage alternatives to car ownership.
NIU has long been known for its tech-focused scooters, and so in addition to getting what appears to be a nicely-performing ride, I think a big part of the value here is the connectivity that NIU builds into these things. I’ve got a NIU KQi 200F with my name on it that I’m excited to get testing with shortly, so I’ll be sure to come back and let you guys know what I think.
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After a month off trying to wrap our heads around all the chaos surrounding EVs, solar, and everything else in Washington, we’re back with the biggest EV news stories of the day from Tesla, Ford, Volvo, and everyone else on today’s hiatus-busting episode of Quick Charge!
It just gets worse and worse for the Tesla true believers – especially those willing to put their money where Elon’s mouth is! One believer is set to lose nearly $50,000 betting on Tesla’s ability to deliver a Robotaxi service by the end of June (didn’t happen), and the controversial CEO’s most recent spat with President Trump had TSLA down nearly 5% in pre-morning trading.
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Hyundai is getting ready to shake things up. A new electric crossover SUV, likely the Hyundai IONIQ 2, is set to debut in the coming months. It will sit below the Kona Electric as Hyundai expands its entry-level EV lineup.
Is Hyundai launching the IONIQ 2 in 2026?
After launching the Inster late last year, Hyundai is already preparing to introduce a new entry-level EV in Europe.
Xavier Martinet, President and CEO of Hyundai Europe, confirmed that the new EV will be revealed “in the next few months.” It will be built in Europe and scheduled to go on sale in mid-2026.
Hyundai’s new electric crossover is expected to be a twin to the Kia EV2, which will likely arrive just ahead of it next year.
It will be underpinned by the same E-GMP platform, which powers all IONIQ and Kia EV models (EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, and EV9).
Like the Kia EV3, it will likely be available with either a 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh battery pack option. The former provides a WLTP range of 267 miles while the latter is rated with up to 372 miles. All trims are powered by a single electric motor at the front, producing 201 hp and 209 lb-ft of torque.
Although it may share the same underpinnings as the EV2, Hyundai’s new entry-level EV will feature an advanced new software and infotainment system.
According to Autocar, the interior will represent a “step change” in terms of usability and features. The new system enables new functions, such as ambient lighting and sounds that adjust depending on the drive mode.
It’s expected to showcase Hyundai’s powerful new Pleos software and infotainment system. As an end-to-end software platform, Pleos connects everything from the infotainment system (Pleos Connect) to the Vehicle Operating System (OS) and the cloud.
Pleos is set to power Hyundai’s upcoming software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with new features like autonomous driving and real-time data analysis.
As an Android-based system, Pleos Connect features a “smartphone-like UI” with new functions including multi-window viewing and an AI voice assistant.
The new electric crossover is expected to start at around €30,000 ($35,400), or slightly less than the Kia EV3, priced from €35,990 ($42,500). It will sit between the Inster and Kona Electric in Hyundai’s lineup.
Hyundai said that it would launch the first EV with its next-gen infotainment system in Q2 2026. Will it be the IONIQ 2? Hyundai is expected to unveil the new entry-level EV at IAA Mobility in September. Stay tuned for more info. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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Tesla has unveiled its lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cell factory in Nevada and claims that it is nearly ready to start production.
Like several other automakers using LFP cells, Tesla relies heavily on Chinese manufacturers for its battery cell supply.
Tesla’s cheapest electric vehicles all utilize LFP cells, and its entire range of energy storage products, Megapacks and Powerwalls, also employ the more affordable LFP cell chemistry from Chinese manufacturers.
This reliance on Chinese manufacturers is less than ideal and particularly complicated for US automakers and battery pack manufacturers like Tesla, amid an ongoing trade war between the US and virtually the entire world, including China.
As of last year, a 25% tariff already applied to battery cells from China, but this increased to more than 80% under Trump before he paused some tariffs on China. It remains unclear where they will end up by the time negotiations are complete and the trade war is resolved, but many expect it to be higher.
Prior to Trump taking power, Tesla had already planned to build a small LFP battery factory in the US to avoid the 25% tariffs.
The automaker had secured older manufacturing equipment from one of its battery cell suppliers, CATL, and planned to deploy it in the US for small-scale production.
Tesla has now released new images of the factory in Nevada and claimed that it is “nearing completion”:
Here are a few images from inside the factory (via Tesla):
Previous reporting stated that Tesla aims to produce about 10 GWh of LFP battery cells per year at the new factory.
The cells are expected to be used in Tesla’s Megapack, produced in the US. Tesla currently has a capacity to produce 40 GWh of Megapacks annually at its factory in California. The company is also working on a new Megapack factory in Texas.
Ford is also developing its own LFP battery cell factory in Michigan, but this facility is significantly larger, with a planned production capacity of 35 GWh.
Electrek’s Take
It’s nice to see this in the US. LFP was a US/Canada invention, with Arumugam Manthiram and John B. Goodenough doing much of the early work, and researchers in Quebec making several contributions to help with commercialization.
But China saw the potential early and invested heavily in volume manufacturing of LFP cells and it now dominates the market.
Tesla is now producing most of its vehicles with LFP cells and all its stationary energy storage products.
It makes sense to invest in your own production. However, Tesla is unlikely to catch up to BYD and CATL, which dominate LFP cell production.
The move will help Tesla avoid tariffs on a small percentage of its Megapacks produced in the US. Ford’s effort is more ambitious.
It’s worth noting that both Ford’s and Tesla’s LFP plants were planned before Trump’s tariffs, which have had limited success in bringing manufacturing back to the US.
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