Yadeathe world’s largest e-bike and e-scooter manufacturer, recently demonstrated a new small-format folding e-bike at the 2024 China Cycle, also known as the China International Bicycle Fair.
The new Yadea UFO S was featured prominently on the brand’s stand, marking a major redesign of Yadea’s previous UFO mini-folding electric bike.
The UFO S, which rides on small 14″ x 2.125″ tires, is designed for urban commuters who prioritize a compact and foldable vehicle that can be easily carried on the bus or train, but also offers a friendly ride by pedals.
The rear hub motor isn’t exactly a powerhouse, maxing out just 420W of peak power from a nominal 250W setup. However, it can also climb slopes up to 17% grade.
It just won’t go very fast, as the flat land speed is limited to 25 km/h (15.5 mph), which keeps it within the European and Asian speed limits for electric bikes.
This isn’t going to set any land speed records, but it’s still going to beat the traffic jam while you’re taking the bike lane.
Launched earlier in China this summer, the Yadea UFO S is expected to carry an MSRP of less than RMB 2,500 (about US$350). Yadea has launched several of its e-bikes and e-scooters in the North American market, although the company has not decided whether the UFO S will join them for now.
If it makes the jump to the US, the price of the bike will likely increase slightly, although Yadea has managed to keep its prices fairly low when launching new products in the US.
The recently released Yadea Artist electric scooter, which features a full-suspension design, launched at just $499 last month.
That electric scooter also has two bigger and more powerful cousins, Yadea Elite Max and Yadea Elite Prime. Together, the three electric scooter models make up the company’s newest line of full-suspension standing electric scooters launched for the US market.
The company also offers two electric bike models in the US, the innovative 20″ wheel folding and the moped-style Trooper electric bike.
A third model, the Yadea Cocoa, is designed for utility use and is set to enter the US market soon.
I recently had the chance to try out many of these first models while visiting one of Yadea’s global factories in Anhui, China.
The company did not yet have the UFO S model available at the time, but I tested all three full-suspension electric scooters, as well as several e-bikes and e-mopeds.
Yadea’s large-format electric tri-wheels were a special treat, designed to carry multiple passengers or up to 1,500 kg (3,300 pounds) of cargo. But don’t get too excited about tricycles; the company has no current plans to bring those vehicles to the North American market anytime soon.
However, it’s worth checking out my test drive video below, where you’ll also take a look inside their factory to see how the vehicles are built.
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