Ananda grows in a challenging e-bike market

Recently Ananda hosted Nieuwsfiets journalist Arnauld Hackmann at the Wuxi factory in China, where the majority of our e-bike systems are produced. During this visit, CEO Daniel Zhuo shared insights into Ananda’s global strategy, the popularity of the award-winning R900 3-Speed Gear Hub Motor and the challenges and opportunities in the current market. Below is the full story, originally published on Nieuwsfiets.nl, translated into English.

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WUXI (CN) – Ananda is performing well in the international bicycle industry, and their latest hub motor, the R900 3-Speed Gear Hub Motor, has been positively received. CEO Daniel Zhuo expressed his satisfaction during an interview with NieuwsFiets.nu on a factory visit to China.

eCyclelectric/LEVA organized a special press trip in early May to CHINA CYCLE, including several factory visits. NieuwsFiets.nu was also invited. One of the stops was Ananda. The Shanghai-headquartered manufacturer has been operating since 2011, producing open platform drive units for eBikes, eMotorcycles, eScooters and others over the decade-plus since then.  

About two-thirds of its revenue comes from domestic markets in Asia, mainly due to the sale of electric scooters. The remaining third is generated from e-bike drive systems—a segment Ananda has actively pursued for the past 11 years. The company initially manufactured components like controllers and displays, later expanding to include hub motors, mid-motors, and other parts.

At China Cycle—one of the world’s largest trade shows for the bicycle industry—Ananda received the Gold Creative Award for its R900 motor. The award recognizes the integration of a 3-speed automatic transmission directly into a hub motor—a feature typically found in mid-motor systems.

The R900’s design features a fully enclosed system that enables smooth, automatic shifting aligned with motor output, offering a ride experience similar to an automatic car transmission. Ananda’Pedal Flow technology also allows for shifting under heavy load or high force, reducing drivetrain wear and improving overall durability.

“This motor is unlike anything currently on the market. We have already received a lot of attention for it,” says CEO Daniel Zhuo, who is pleased with the company’s performance.

“Globally, we’re doing quite well—both in our home markets and in direct sales to Europe, North America, and Japan. But there are still some markets where growth is more sluggish.”

Launch a new solution every year

Regarding gearboxes in mid-drive e-bike motors, Zhuo notes this is a hot topic in the global cycling industry. More and more brands are launching their own systems. “We started development about three years ago in close collaboration with our gearbox supplier. It’s not easy to integrate this into a mid-motor, as we believe these systems should make e-bikes lighter and more compact,” Zhuo continues. “So far, we’re not fully satisfied with the results, so we’re continuing development with  gearbox specialists from Europe and China. This is a high-priority project”.

I expect we’ll end up with two results: one is a mid-drive motor with stepless automatic shifting, and the other is a Pinion-like solution. For commuters, we believe a 4- or 5-speed system is better suited than a 7-speed. That’s the direction our R&D centre is heading.”

Ananda’s CEO says they aim to bring new e-drive systems to the market every year, as they have done this year with the R900  Integrated Electronic 3-Speed Gear Hub Motor System.

Zhuo reports that sales and production figures for Ananda are rising, despite persistent challenges in various global markets.

“We grew by 40% in volume last year compared to 2023. If we maintain this trajectory, we’ll achieve healthy growth moving forward. “With more than 200 people working in R&D and a portfolio of 123 patents, we have the resources to achieve these results.”

Market outlook & oppurtunities

Ananda  has  four  separate  production bases in China, a recently opened factory  unit  in  Vietnam,  as  well  as  a significant  facility and service centre in Hungary. Thanks to this wide global operation Ananda can provide more flexibility to meet different needs from all corners of the world.

We’re not overly concerned about the trade war with the U.S. Either. In fact, the trade tensions have brought China and Europe closer together. While the European market is still a bit slow, inventories are declining, and we’re seeing signs of rapid recovery as prices and stock levels begin to stabilize. Our clients also expect a return to normalcy, likely in the fourth quarter, as their inventories continue to drop.”