China urges citizens to trade in ‘old lithium e-bikes’ for newer lead acid electric bikes - Related to developing, china, ford, have, plug-in

China urges citizens to trade in ‘old lithium e-bikes’ for newer lead acid electric bikes

In what might seem like a headscratcher, China is now urging its citizens to trade in their lithium-ion battery-based electric bikes for newer models with sealed lead-acid batteries (SLAs).

Electric bicycles are an incredibly popular form of travel in urban areas in China. An estimated 350 million electric two-wheelers of various forms travel the roads and bike paths in China.

Most e-bikes in China look more like what we would call scooters or mopeds, and many families as well as young adults rely on these e-bikes for daily transportation. While they technically require pedals and a maximum speed of 25 km/h ([website] mph) to qualify as e-bikes in China, most clients remove the pedals and effectively operate them as scooters.

SLA batteries, usually in the form of Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) SLAs, have been commonly used in electric bicycles in China for decades. In fact, the technology for lead-acid batteries is over 100 years old, and early electric cars sold at the start of the 1900s were powered by lead-acid batteries.

Over the last decade or so, China has seen a shift from older AGM batteries, which are heavy and bulky, toward lighter and longer-lasting lithium-ion batteries.

However, safety concerns regarding rare yet dangerous lithium-ion battery fires have put a pause on that proliferation. The government instituted new safety standards for lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes last year, but there’s also been a major pushback toward AGM batteries for the domestic market. Even major technological leaders in the industry, such as Yadea and NIU, produce many AGM-based e-bikes for the domestic market while exporting primarily lithium-ion battery e-bikes abroad.

Now we’re seeing China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announcing new policies to further promote trade-ins of lithium-ion battery e-bikes for AGM models. The new MOC policy includes subsidies to help individuals buy eligible new models.

Traded-in e-bikes will be sent for dismantling and recycling, a move the MOC says is intended to help phase out older electric bikes with safety risks.

While sealed lead acid-based batteries do have higher safety margins, they have significantly lower energy density and lifespans. To help solve this issue, some companies, such as Yadea, are pushing for sodium-ion batteries to replace both lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries as the next big e-bike battery chemistry.

Sodium-ion batteries have the safety advantages of lead-acid batteries, yet offer superior energy density and lifespans that are beginning to approach that of lithium-ion batteries. The cost remains relatively high for the newer sodium-ion battery technology, but significant investments in the development of sodium-ion battery manufacturing are expected to help reduce the cost in the next few years.

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Ford Says Large Electric Trucks And SUVs Have 'Unresolvable' Problems

Ford CEO Jim Farley did not mince words while explaining some of the drawbacks of very large, fully electric SUVs and trucks.

During Ford’s fourth-quarter 2024 earnings call on Wednesday, the automaker shared its electrification roadmap, reiterating that it would focus on small and medium-sized EVs that are more economically viable instead of going all guns blazing with battery-electric models across all segments.

“For larger retail, electric utilities, the economics are unresolvable,” Farley noted. “These consumers have very demanding use cases for an electric vehicle. They tow, they go off-road, they take long road trips. These vehicles have worse aerodynamics and they're very heavy, which means very large and expensive batteries.”.

A Ford spokesperson later clarified to InsideEVs that Farley was specifically referring to large, customer-focused "utility" vehicles—SUVs like the Ford Expedition and so on. Despite some setbacks and the cancellation of its large three-row SUV, Ford is far from done with EVs, however. The automaker is planning a midsize all-electric truck that is a kind of quasi-F-150 Lightning successor; a family of from-the-ground-up EVs on its so-called "skunkworks" platform; and a broadened series of electrified vehicles, including hybrids and extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), which Farley elaborated on during the call.

Yet the economics of using a very large EV battery—say, 180 kWh or more—have been singled out as troubling as the auto industry seeks a zero-emission future.

If you want a decent electric pickup truck from the likes of Tesla or General Motors, be prepared to drain your bank account. The non-work-truck version of the 2025 Chevy Silverado EV starts at around $70,000 before destinations and fees. The Tesla Cybertruck starts at $79,990. The GMC Sierra EV starts at $92,000. They also have massive battery packs, as big as 212 kWh on the GMC Hummer EV, for example, and deliver terrible real-world efficiency.

Consequently, the sales of electric pickups didn’t look great in 2024. Sure, the Cybertruck was the best-seller among these EVs. However, the truck was once rumored to have a million-plus reservations, and Tesla was preparing a production capacity of over 250,000 units a year. Its sales fell far short at 38,965 units, . Plus, the hype is already cooling off. Sales of Ford's F-150 Lightning grew year-over-year but paled in comparison to gas-powered pickups. The enterprise has had to cut production multiple times to keep it in line with demand.

“Retail end-customers have shown that they will not pay any premium for these large EVs, making them a really tough business case,” Farley mentioned.

Profitability for the large family haulers will instead come from “PHEVs, hybrids and EREVs” that on “one tank of gas can get over 700 miles of range, but still drive most miles electric,” he added.

Ford wants to take a novel approach with its large SUVs and trucks. As Bloomberg first reported on Tuesday, the automaker is now pursuing extended-range electric vehicles. EREVs have an electric powertrain like a traditional battery-electric vehicle, but they also get a gas-powered generator for backup. The generator is tasked with recharging the battery, but it’s the e-motors that drive the wheels at all times.

Heavy-duty EVs only make sense for Ford’s commercial consumers, Farley showcased. Commercial consumers can charge electric delivery vans and work trucks at depots, and don’t have the same range anxiety as retail consumers. They usually don't over-buy batteries, like retail consumers do, focusing instead on their exact use cases. He added that small and medium-sized trucks and SUVs were the sweet spot for pure EVs as they require lower-cost batteries and fit the use case for daily commuters.

And as for the models that are in that sweet spot, Farley mentioned, “We're deep in the development of our next generation vehicles that we believe will be affordable, high volume and great for our business.”.

This story has been updated with additional information about Ford's electric plans.

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Ford developing big plug-in hybrid pickups, SUVs

EREV system would pair battery pack with gasoline range-extender in series-hybrid layout.

Ford says it might deliver EV experience to full-size trucks and SUVs without price premium.

Separate findings hints at it might be extended to Super Duty trucks.

Ford has begun planning a series plug-in hybrid system for use in SUVs—as well as, potentially, some of its largest pickup trucks.

"Ford will be developing flexible body-on-frame and unit-body platforms that will be designed for these multi-energy powertrains that are needed given the realities of customer affordability and range requirements," expressed Ford CEO Jim Farley, in the corporation's Wednesday call for investors. Farley pointed to a combined range of 700 miles in an EREV (range-extended EV), which combines the range of a battery pack and gasoline-fueled range-extender.

It's expected that such a vehicle would follow a series-hybrid format, using the internal-combustion engine as a generator, with electric motors actually powering the wheels. A plug-in hybrid version would allow for a big enough battery pack to offer substantial electric range, with the combustion engine acting as a range extender.

Ford gave no arrival date for the powertrain, but 's heavy-duty trucks, badged Super Duty. It may begin appearing in larger trucks and SUVs in 2027 at the earliest, around the same time that Ford hopes to refresh its lineup of all-electric vehicles with more-affordable models, , citing anonymous data familiar with the matter.

Farley explained that while Ford may see a sweet spot for small and medium-sized EVs, especially as a second vehicle in the household, for larger retail electric SUVs, "the economics are unresolvable."

"These end-consumers have very demanding use cases for an electric vehicle—they tow, they go off-road, they take long road trips," explained Farley. "These vehicles have worse aerodynamics and they're very heavy, which means very large and expensive batteries."

The CEO went on to explain that while fleet consumers have proven willingness to pay extra for fully electric trucks, retail consumers haven't. But with an EREV layout, Farley, showcased, the incremental investment for such a vehicle, is "very minimal." That, the CEO suggested, might enable Ford to offer EV driving attributes without a price premium.

Ford last year introduced that it plans to launch more hybrids and cut back on EVs in response to what the automaker views as unfavorable market conditions for all-electric models. It canceled a planned three-row electric SUV originally planned to launch this year, while announcing new midsize and full-size electric pickups for 2027 and a commercial van to be built in Ohio starting in 2026.

Other automakers are looking at gasoline range extenders for trucks. The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger is set to arrive at dealerships later this year, ahead of its all-electric Ram 1500 REV counterpart, which has been delayed to 2026. The Ram 1500 is a full-size truck—the largest still classified as a light-duty vehicle—while Ford's Super Duty trucks are classified as heavy-duty vehicles, and thus aren't subject to the same efficiency and safety standards.

The Volkswagen Group's new Scout brand also plans to offer an extended-range powertrain, dubbed Harvester, for its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup alongside all-electric powertrains. Both models are due in 2027.

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