China boasts over 400 million e-bikes, yet surprisingly few are insured, leaving owners vulnerable after accidents.
This low insurance rate presents a significant financial risk for many.
So how can e-bike safety improve, and will new national standards change the picture?
Coming to you live from Beijing, this is Roundtable, I'm Steve,
and for today's show I'm joined by Nio Honglin and Yushan.
First on the program.
With a staggering figure exceeding 400 million e-bikes traversing its roads as of 2024,
China has witnessed an undeniable surge in this mode of transportation.
But only a fraction of these e-bikes benefit from insurance coverage.
This lack of insurance leaves a vast majority of owners potentially vulnerable should an accident occur.
So what underlying factors contribute to this low insurance penetration rate among owners in China,
and in the face of such widespread usage,
what comprehensive strategies can be implemented to bolster the safety of e-bike operation?
E-bikes are everywhere, every day, it's part of everyday life here in Beijing, maybe other parts of the country too.
Good afternoon to you both, and I wonder, do you own an e-bike, or have you ever owned an e-bike?
Not really, I found it really hard to ride on one actually, it's hard to balance it, especially when it's turning,
you can't turn fast while riding an e-bike,
that's what I heard from other people who had the experience of riding and turning very fast and falling for sure.
So it takes me back to my childhood memories, because when I was in I think primary school middle school,
my mom used to own an e-bike and she used that to write me to school,