Major US electric bike brand announces response to tariffs
One of the largest electric bike brands in the US, Aventon, has recently shared several details about the company’s response to US tariffs on imported goods. The details reveal insight into how large e-bike makers are coping with the major disruption caused by the trade war launched by the Trump administration.
In a comprehensive post, Aventon covered the company’s response to several issues, from supply chain disruptions to manufacturing shifts to pricing policy.
Shift in manufacturing away from China
Like many e-bike brands, as Trump’s threats to cripple US imports from China grew, the company began focusing on alternative manufacturing locations. Despite being based in China and enjoying something of a home field advantage, the impact of potentially heavy tariffs threatened to offset the benefits of China’s lower-cost manufacturing and close proximity to the e-bike component supply chain.
Other Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand are seen as prime locations to shift e-bike manufacturing outside of China. Ironically, many of the new bicycle factories opened in these countries are actually Chinese-owned, built as investments by the very factory owners who anticipated a manufacturing shift brought on by tariffs initiated during the first Trump administration and increasingly hostile American rhetoric towards China.
However, moving manufacturing outside of China comes with increasing costs and complexities beyond mere labor and investment in local manufacturing expertise. “The lack of localized suppliers means critical parts (e.g., motors, batteries) still often come from China,” explained Aventon. “This creates a logistical puzzle: components are shipped to Southeast Asia for assembly, then transported to the U.S. This multi-step process adds 50+ days to shipment times compared to direct manufacturing in China.”
Pricing could still take a hit
While the tariffs on other countries pale in comparison to the current 170% tariffs on Chinese e-bikes (145% retaliatory tariffs on top of 25% Section 301 tariffs), there’s no guarantee that tariffs on e-bikes from countries like Vietnam and Thailand will remain comparatively low. The current tariff on e-bikes from countries other than China sits at a minimum of 10%, but those could rise this summer after a 90-day pause granted by the Trump administration ends without a new negotiated deal or backtrack from the administration.
Those tariffs, Aventon made clear, are not paid by the countries who produce the goods, but rather by the companies who import them, and then ultimately by American consumers. “Tariffs are paid by importers during customs clearance before products reach the U.S. soil. These costs typically trickle down to consumers through price adjustments,” Aventon explained.
For now, Aventon has committed to keeping costs as low as possible by absorbing the increase in costs. “In early 2025, we proactively shifted 100% of our production to Thailand, investing in factory partnerships by sending Aventon key stakeholders from the production, quality control, and industrial engineering teams. While this transition increased our manufacturing and logistics costs by 10-15%, we’ve chosen to absorb many of these expenses.”
The brand cited sensitivity to inflation in the US causing an increase in living costs as one of the key reasons it intends to absorb the current price increases, which Aventon says aligns with its long-term vision of “keeping electric bikes accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford premium pricing.”
Can e-bikes be produced in the US?
For its part, Aventon won’t be bringing production of its electric bikes to the US anytime soon, citing a lack of domestic supply for critical components and the heavy tariffs applied to those components.
However, the company doesn’t rule out the possibility for e-bike assembly to occur on a smaller scale if tariffs are lifted, potentially as a precursor to true manufacturing in the future.
“Unfortunately, there is no supply chain of e-bike components here in the US and all key components are imposed with significant tariffs coming from China. Having e-bikes made in the US is not practical unless the parts tariffs are lifted. Then assembly first, followed by key components manufacturing in the long run, is possible.”
Electrek’s Take
There are a few things to unpack here. First of all, Aventon is right. Electric bike manufacturing isn’t coming to the US. While the company correctly cited the lack of a domestic supply chain as a key issue, what they perhaps wisely left unsaid is that the world experts on building bicycles currently live in China. Unless someone is going to invest millions in infrastructure to build factories and then pay the millions more it will take to train and payroll a new bicycle-building workforce, then it just isn’t going to happen.
Yes, small-scale bicycle building is happening in the US. Electric Bike Company in Newport Beach, California, is a prime example. They deserve all the respect in the world for building e-bikes in the US for years, long before tariffs were an issue. However, the most important components for their e-bikes come from China, and I don’t see how they can survive without raising prices substantially to cover the near-tripling cost of the most important components. And if they raise prices, then that’s another threat to their future.
Next, there’s something ironic about a Chinese-owned e-bike company telling Americans that it will keep prices lower because it knows Americans are already hurting financially. If the Murica crowd were ever to do some reflecting, this might be the time. There’s nothing wrong with being patriotic and wanting your country to succeed, but if the other country you’re trying to spite feels sympathy for you and thinks you need help, perhaps the “America First” policies aren’t working the way it was hoped.
And lastly, keep in mind that this is all extremely volatile and fluid. There is absolutely no stability in the e-bike market right now, nor larger global trade. This entire global financial tailspin was sent into action by the whims of one geriatric firebrand, and it can change just as quickly. Trump could decide to reduce tariffs on China tomorrow to prevent supply crises in the US, or he could double down and put similar embargo-level tariffs on countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. It could literally go either way in a single day, or it could stagnate for months, with recent events showing us that both possibilities could be just as likely. The point being, this is the situation today, but no one knows what could come tomorrow.
Ooof – I need to go for a bike ride.
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With the launch of the first-ever Class 8 vocational EV in the North American market, PACCAR Kenworth is raising the battery-electric bar and underscoring just how far the market has come since the Tesla Semi made its debut nearly a decade ago.
When Tesla pulled the wraps off its all electric Semi truck all the way back in November of 2017, the rest of the industry was hardly thinking about BEVs. Nearly a decade later, the world is still waiting for the Semi to begin regular production, and PACCAR is launching its second generation of HDEVs with the debut of this, the all-new Kenworth T880E vocational truck.
“The Kenworth T880E marks a groundbreaking milestone in Kenworth’s history as we bring to market the first Class 8 battery-electric solution built for vocational applications,” explains Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The T880E is engineered to meet the evolving needs of operators and vocational fleets while still providing the durability, reliability and customization our customers expect.”
The new electric K-whopper is motivated by PACCAR’s in-house ePowertrain platform, capable of putting up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of peak torque to work, while delivering the same levels of drivability and dependability fleets expect from a Kenworth – but power and torque are only part of the T880E’s work-ready résumé.
Open to work
In addition to a stout, Class 8 electric chassis fitted with heavy-duty Kenworth brakes and axles, the T880E’s central drive eMotor allows for significant wheelbase flexibility so fleet buyers can spec out exactly the machine they need to get the job done. The T880E was also designed to enable lift axle installations from trusted Kenworth upfitters for a vocational-friendly BEV integration.
Additionally, the T880E features a wide selection of factory-installed options that include both high- and low-voltage ePTO (electric Power Take Off) ports, mechanical ePTOs, and the same wide array of body configurations as the ICE version.
Speaking of the ICE version, the electric T880E also can also be had in the same set-back front axle and set-forward front axle configurations with the same multi-piece hood construction. Inside the cab, the latest in driver-focused technology includes the Kenworth SmartWheel and a new 15″ DriverConnect digital touchscreen. Dash and vocational features like RAM Mounts and factory-installed PTO switches are available. The T880E is also offered with Kenworth ADAS packages for customers interested in DigitalVision Mirrors, Bendix Fusion, and Lane Keeping Assist.
It’s so big, you guys
The T880E was on static display at last week’s ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. Check with your local Kenworth dealer for availability.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Kenworth.
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The tire-blistering SU7 Ultra has been the Xiaomi brand’s flagship super sedan since its launch, but a controversial software setting has limited the car to “just” 900 hp in regular driving – resulting in an outcry from owners who ponied up for the big boy numbers. With its latest software update, that missing 648 hp is back on tap!
The SU7 Ultra made waves throughout the performance car world when a bright yellow striped example lined up alongside a white quarter mile king, the 1,000+ hp Tesla Model S Plaid, and promptly smoked it.
That wasn’t all. A preproduction SU7 Ultra prototype lapped the legendary Nürburgring circuit in just 6 minutes and 46.874 seconds, firmly stamping the 1,500+ hp Xiaomi’s alphanumeric into the track’s record books with a time nearly fifteen seconds quicker than a Rimac Nevera or, on the ICE front, either a Corvette ZR1, Viper ACR, or Porsche 918 (take your pick).
It’s hardly any wonder, then, that the customers who signed up – in droves, too – were disappointed to learn that the SU7 they were allowed to buy had been neutered by the safety nannies to the tune of nearly 650 hp. (!)
We’re so back
The outrage from SU7 Ultra owners was immediate. And, facing mounting pressure online and on social media, Xiaomi ultimately decided to withdraw the performance-limiting features while acknowledging the need for more transparent communication about future software updates they messed up, saying in a statement, “we appreciate the passionate feedback from our community and will ensure better transparency moving forward.”
So, rich people can rocket themselves down the road in 9 second hypercars again and all is right with the world. A happy ending – but one that sort of illuminates a fresh set challenges for automakers peddling “software-defined vehicles” to a market that still thinks of their cars as very much hardware defined products.
That’s evidenced by the resistance to pay for features by subscription and complaints by more informed customers that “software locked” range and convenience features just subsidize the cost of more expensive trim levels and pad profits for manufacturers and suppliers.
The new reality is playing out in real time now, and the Jeff Bezos-backed $20,000 electric compact pickup from Slate Auto is going the other way entirely – time will tell whether more, or less tech is the answer.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Xiaomi, via CarNewsChina.
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Tesla (TSLA) has started offering reduced interest rates on the new Model Y in the US — this equates to a direct discount on the brand new vehicle that was supposed to spark Tesla’s demand back.
The automaker has announced “1.99% APR or $0 Due at Signing available for well-qualified buyers” on the new Model Y in the US for the first time:
This amounts to a direct discount worth a few thousand dollars. It is the first widely available discount on the new Model Y coming just weeks after the cheaper non-Launch Edition launched in the US.
It follows a $2,000 direct discount that Tesla offered to early Model Y owners last week.
These discounts and subsidized financing point to soft demand for the updated best-selling vehicle in the US. Tesla just delivered a disastrous first quarter, which it mostly blamed on the Model Y changeover, resulting in lower inventory.
However, industry watchers, including Electrek, noted many signs that the Model Y changeover was not the only issue. Tesla added significantly to its inventory in the first quarter, and the wait times for the new Model Y were extremely short.
Now, the discount weeks after launching the new Model Y confirm the soft demand in the US.
It’s not as bad as Europe and China, where Tesla has already been offering 0% financing on the new Model Y for weeks.
Electrek’s Take
I think it’s clear by now: the new Model Y is not coming to save Tesla.
Let’s be honest: It will still be a significant vehicle program by volume. It just won’t help Tesla return to growth this year.
The RWD Model Y is still coming and has a chance to help in the US. It is already available in China, and it’s not helping Tesla much there, but that’s in a hyper-competitive market, especially at lower prices where the RWD Model Y operates.
Tesla’s performance in Q2 in China will be interesting since it is basically back to its regular lineup for the whole quarter.
The US appears to have been Tesla’s least affected market, but Q3 will be the real test with the full lineup and no backlog of demand for new Model Y.
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