(Yicai) Sept. 2 -- China’s new national standards for electric bikes have officially come into effect, with repercussions expected on consumers, manufacturers, and the whole supply chain.

Effective yesterday, the new national standards raised the maximum weight of e-bikes with lead-acid batteries to 63 kilograms from 55 kg to improve their range, while keeping the speed limit at 25 kilometers per hour, with compulsory blockage to the engine in case of speeding, according to the document released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other departments at the end of last year.

The new standards required manufacturers to install battery packs and control units that stop working in case of modifications, use plastic materials accounting for no more than 5.5 percent of the e-scooter’s total weight, choose non-metallic materials, such as seats, battery compartments, and decorative components, with higher fire resistance, and clearly write their products’ suggested service life on their plates and certificates.

Luyuan Group implemented a flexible parallel strategy for its new and old production lines in June to ensure a smooth transition to the new standards, Seashell Finance reported, citing the Chinese e-bike maker. Luyuan’s products use the company’s self-developed liquid-cooled motor 2.0, digital batteries, and flame-retardant cable harness to prevent modifications and reduce fire hazards, it added.

As the new standards have higher requirements for intelligence and safety, Niu Technologies said it will introduce smart features, such as millimeter-wave sensing, navigation projection, and dash cameras, optimize the battery thermal management system, add a dual-mode positioning function with the Beidou satellite navigation system and global positioning system, and make more bicycles with both safety and long-range advantages.

China has around 380 million registered e-bicycles, with Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, and Sichuan provinces each having more than 30 million units, according to data from the MIIT.

The popularity and convenience of e-bikes have propelled manufacturers’ profits. In the first half of the year, industry leader Yadea Holdings saw its net profit widen 60 percent to CNY1.7 billion (USD231 million) from a year earlier. Aima Technology and Segway-Ninebot both reported CNY1.2 billion in net profit in the period, up 28 percent and 108 percent, respectively.

Editor: Futura Costaglione