Multiple Policies Support Lead-Acid Battery E-Bikes; New Round of Trade-In Policy Details Announced [SMM Analysis]

        SMM February 27: China is the largest producer and user of e-bikes. According to data from the China Bicycle Association, by the end of 2024, the ownership of e-bikes in China reached 400 million units. From the perspective of end-use consumption, 60-70% of the demand came from replacement needs.

        Since August 2024, a series of policies related to the e-bike industry have been intensively introduced domestically. The Ministry of Commerce announced the "Implementation Plan for Promoting E-Bike Trade-In," actively advancing the trade-in of e-bikes. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, in 2024, over 1.38 million e-bikes were traded in nationwide, with subsidies exceeding 600 million yuan, driving sales of 3.74 billion yuan.

        At the beginning of 2025, the central government had already pre-allocated the first batch of funds for the 2025 trade-in of consumer goods, amounting to 81 billion yuan. Since January, the Ministry of Commerce has successively issued detailed rules for the 2025 subsidies for purchasing new cars, home appliances, home furnishings, e-bikes, and digital products such as mobile phones under the trade-in policy. The stimulus policy package is focusing on the e-bike industry.

        On January 5, 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued the "Notice on Intensifying and Expanding the Implementation of Large-Scale Equipment Renewal and Consumer Goods Trade-In Policy in 2025." On January 9, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce and four other departments issued the "Notice on Effectively Carrying Out the 2025 E-Bike Trade-In Work." The e-bike trade-in program will continue in 2025, starting from January 1, 2025. Both notices mentioned that individual consumers who scrap old e-bikes and purchase qualified new ones will receive trade-in subsidies. For those who scrap old e-bikes with lithium-ion batteries and purchase e-bikes with lead-acid batteries, the subsidy amount may be appropriately increased.

The subsidy details for each province and city are as follows:

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        Additionally, on December 31, 2024, the mandatory national standard "Safety Technical Specifications for E-Bikes," revised by five departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, was officially released and will be implemented on September 1, 2025. Among the new standards, the maximum weight limit for e-bikes using lead-acid batteries has been increased from 55 kilograms to 63 kilograms. Once the new standards are implemented in September, they are expected to further boost the consumption of lead-acid battery e-bikes.