Motorised cargo tricycle are also electric vehicles, right？
# Electric ‘beng bengs’ create a sensation in US. Now about those delivery charges …
* The electric version of the motorised cargo tricycle, long used in China, has drawn interest in the United States after a social media account showed one in Michigan * The vehicles, which cost as little as US$600, became a business opportunity for Chinese entrepreneurs and logistics companies in the past few months
Bad news for Americans worried about the viability of domestic auto production. The super-cheap Chinese electric vehicles that Elon Musk and Donald Trump fear are already rolling on US soil.
The good news is that these vehicles only have three wheels.
Comprising a motorcycle-like front with handlebars and a lightweight pickup rear, the “beng beng” – as the diesel vehicle is sometimes referred to in China because of its characteristically rough ride behind a loud engine that spews gas fumes – has served as a workhorse in China’s agricultural redoubts for many decades.
The newer, fully electric versions have the same moniker even though they offer smoother and quieter rides, ideal for flexible short-distance cargo transport.
Most importantly, they can now be bought in the US for as little as US$600 – before shipping fees. More about that later.
Not seen in the US before this year, these vehicles suddenly became a novel business opportunity for Chinese entrepreneurs and logistics companies just in the past few months, with small numbers starting to arrive at American container ports – one after another – in large wooden crates.
It all started with videos from a vlogger called Bobo in the USA, who is originally from Beijing and now lives with her family in Dearborn, Michigan – coincidentally, the hometown of Henry Ford.
She gave a tricycle to her American father-in-law for Christmas, and it quickly became a local sensation. Able to carry a load up to 700kg (1,543 pounds), the beng beng can be charged simply by plugging into a standard 110 voltage outlet; once fully charged, it can run as far as 60km (37 miles). While in reverse, a high-pitched female voice warns in Chinese: “Qing zhuyi, daoche” (“Attention, backing up”).
When the family got it legally registered as a motorcycle and rode it on local streets, many neighbours snapped photos and asked where they could buy one.
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Motorised cargo tricycle are also electric vehicles, right？
# Electric ‘beng bengs’ create a sensation in US. Now about those delivery charges …
* The electric version of the motorised cargo tricycle, long used in China, has drawn interest in the United States after a social media account showed one in Michigan
* The vehicles, which cost as little as US$600, became a business opportunity for Chinese entrepreneurs and logistics companies in the past few months
Bad news for Americans worried about the viability of domestic auto production. The super-cheap Chinese electric vehicles that Elon Musk and Donald Trump fear are already rolling on US soil.
The good news is that these vehicles only have three wheels.
Comprising a motorcycle-like front with handlebars and a lightweight pickup rear, the “beng beng” – as the diesel vehicle is sometimes referred to in China because of its characteristically rough ride behind a loud engine that spews gas fumes – has served as a workhorse in China’s agricultural redoubts for many decades.
The newer, fully electric versions have the same moniker even though they offer smoother and quieter rides, ideal for flexible short-distance cargo transport.
Most importantly, they can now be bought in the US for as little as US$600 – before shipping fees. More about that later.
Not seen in the US before this year, these vehicles suddenly became a novel business opportunity for Chinese entrepreneurs and logistics companies just in the past few months, with small numbers starting to arrive at American container ports – one after another – in large wooden crates.
It all started with videos from a vlogger called Bobo in the USA, who is originally from Beijing and now lives with her family in Dearborn, Michigan – coincidentally, the hometown of Henry Ford.
She gave a tricycle to her American father-in-law for Christmas, and it quickly became a local sensation. Able to carry a load up to 700kg (1,543 pounds), the beng beng can be charged simply by plugging into a standard 110 voltage outlet; once fully charged, it can run as far as 60km (37 miles). While in reverse, a high-pitched female voice warns in Chinese: “Qing zhuyi, daoche” (“Attention, backing up”).
When the family got it legally registered as a motorcycle and rode it on local streets, many neighbours snapped photos and asked where they could buy one.