Chongqing—The motorcycle industry continues to experience rapid growth in Chongqing, China, while it still faces challenges like supply chain bottlenecks in achieving higher value added for its brand.
The industry has a good harvest
In 2025 H1, Chongqing's motorcycle production increased by 23.1% year-on-year, reaching 3.622 million units, accounting for nearly a quarter of the national total. The industry’s output value reached 53.602 billion yuan, a 27.9% year-on-year increase, contributing 33.5% to the city's industrial output growth.
Workers at the Chongqing Xinyuan Motorcycle Co., Ltd. factory conduct static inspections on motorcycles destined for Latin American countries. (Photo/Xinhua)
Among motorcycle products, lightweight electric motorcycles are essential for daily commuting in China. Chongqing has attracted seven of China’s top ten lightweight electric motorcycle companies, such as Yadea and Aima, forming an industrial cluster in the western part of the city.
Just five or six years ago, China’s lightweight electric motorcycle industry was primarily concentrated in cities like Tianjin, Wuxi, and Guangdong, but now Chongqing has become a key hub for this sector. This achievement is largely due to the city’s well-established industrial support system and favorable government policies.
Chongqing boasts the country's most comprehensive motorcycle support system, with over 400 large-scale supporting enterprises and a local supply rate exceeding 90%. This includes key components like frames, body panels, and instruments.
Additionally, government policies have played a crucial role in supporting the industry’s development. A representative from the Chongqing Economic and Information Technology Commission stated that the "Chongqing Smart Electric Vehicle Industry Development Action Plan (2025-2027)" provides a clear direction for the electric and intelligent transformation of the motorcycle industry, giving businesses stable expectations for the future.
In the field of fuel motorcycles, two local giants, Zonsen and Loncin, completed a strategic merger at the end of last year, boosting their competitiveness in both the domestic and international markets. In 2025 H1, the two companies jointly produced over 1.6 million motorcycles, securing their position as the largest producer in China and placing them in the global top ten.
Furthermore, the global expansion of Chongqing’s motorcycle companies is accelerating. In the first half of this year, Chongqing’s motorcycle exports totaled 13.361 billion yuan (USD 1.88 billion), a 48.4% year-on-year increase. Among China's top ten motorcycle exporters, five Chongqing-based companies, including Zonsen and Qianli Technology, collectively accounted for half of the list.
Chongqing still faces challenges in enhancing its brand value
Despite these impressive achievements in manufacturing scale, Chongqing still faces challenges in enhancing its brand value. For instance, last year, Yadea’s Yongchuan base produced 1.25 million lightweight electric motorcycles, generating a total output value of 3.2 billion yuan, with an average price of 2,500 yuan per unit. Currently, the majority of Chongqing-produced electric motorcycles are mid-to-low-end models priced under 5,000 yuan.
An industry observer points out, “We cannot be satisfied with merely producing transportation tools; we need to focus on leading consumer trends and creating higher brand value.” He drew a comparison between Chongqing and Ninebot, a tech company in the fields of short-distance transportation and robotics, whose main products include smart electric two-wheelers.
Ninebot’s products are priced between 4,000 and 7,000 yuan, and in 2024, the company’s revenue grew by over 70% year-on-year, far outpacing the industry’s average growth rate. Ninebot's success lies not in having the highest production volume but in its ability to precisely meet the demands of young consumers for intelligent, personalized, and socially connected products.
As the observer explains, today’s young consumers don’t just buy lightweight electric motorcycles for transportation; they are buying an intelligent terminal, a way to express their lifestyle.
However, gaps remain in some critical areas of the local supply chain, which affect the overall competitiveness of Chongqing’s motorcycle industry. A local company executive revealed that some key components in Chongqing’s motorcycle supply system still pose a “bottleneck” risk.
For example, active safety technologies like ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and high-quality tires are not adequately supplied locally. The supply rate for high-end models is only 60%, with a significant reliance on imports or suppliers from other provinces.
In the lightweight electric motorcycle sector, Chongqing still lacks leading local companies for power batteries and specialized electric motorcycle tire manufacturers. Moreover, the local supply rate for motors and electric control systems has yet to surpass 50%.
A research and development manager from an electric motorcycle company stated that this not only increases procurement costs for enterprises but also affects the security of the supply chain. It limits the ability to collaborate on fundamental technological innovation, making it difficult for companies to deeply cooperate with suppliers to co-develop new technologies.