ZAP (ZAAP), an Electric Vehicle (EV) automotive company incorporated in California Bay Area, and its subsidiary Jonway Auto strengthens its EV sales distribution network with signing an OEM contract with AIMA, the largest producer of EV motorcycles in the world to manufacture and produce a new version of the URBEEs. AIMA will be selling the new URBEE models through its 2000 EV motorcycle dealers all over China. AIMA is headquartered in Tianjin and had sales of over 3 million electric motorcycles last year in China.
AIMA, working with Jonway Auto funded a new design of the URBEE family to provide a unique look for its brand. Sales of these new models will commence in January 2015, and the products will be manufactured in Jonway Auto’s factory in Zhejiang Province, just south of Shanghai.
AIMA is one of five major OEM partners that Jonway Auto has signed strategic agreements with. The strong interest stems from a growing community of users in China that need an affordable city transportation vehicle but may not have a driver’s license. Categorized as a low speed vehicle, the URBEEs can be driven on city streets with a maximum speed limit of 35 mph but does not require the driver to hold a driver’s license. The other OEM partners are Sunra from Jiangsu Province, third largest EV motorcycle manufacturer in China, Zongshen, the largest EV 3- wheel motorcycle manufacturer in China, also based out of Jiangsu, Da Jiang from Hebei Province, and Wu Yang from Henan Province. In anticipation of legal categorization of low speed vehicles in China, these manufacturers are gearing up sales. Each of these companies has paid for their own unique look and feel of the URBEE to market into their dealership networks. The motorcycle dealerships’ current targeted market aligns with the customers that are interested in the URBEE product because these customers are generally city commuters looking for an affordable vehicle driving at city speeds, with a comfortable ride and compact enough for easy parking. With 30 million EV motorcycles sold last year in China, this sector of the Chinese market is very familiar and comfortable with “plug-ins”. The URBEE with 150km in range is more than sufficient for a day’s commute, and most likely would only require a couple of recharges per week.
The Eco-friendly EV URBEE designed as a “small, big” car for the cities, is easy to get in and out of, and is ideally suited pricewise as a utility vehicle for the young adults and also the aging population that never had a driver’s license. With heating and air conditioning in the electric vehicle, the URBEEs are weather proof and safer than motorcycles.
About ZAP and Jonway Auto
ZAP and Jonway Auto designs and manufactures quality, affordable new energy and electric vehicles (EVs). Jonway Automobile has ISO 9000 manufacturing facilities, certified for EV manufacturing, and engineering, sales and customer services facilities in China. Jonway has production capacity of up to 50,000 vehicles per year, over 1 million square feet of factory space, and over 65 acres of land and established sales distribution network in China. ZAP, an early pioneer of EVs, brings to both companies a broad range of EV product technologies. ZAP is headquartered in Santa Rosa, California and Jonway Auto is located in Zhejiang Province of the People’s Republic of China.
www.zapworld.com
www.jonwayauto.com
