Chery’s 300 USD Yamaha-Clone Moped Appears in Filings, Paves Way for Range Extender E-Motos

Chery is expanding into NEV mopeds and motorbikes, receiving approval for an unusual product as a Yamaha-clone electric moped appeared in the latest product catalogue from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Similar e-moped clones mainly target China’s low-end market, with most bikes priced at 2,000 yuan (300 USD). It is expected to spearhead the automaker’s two-wheeled efforts, following Chery showcasing extended-range (EREV) motorbikes at a recent in-house tech event.

MIIT filings show a bare-bones electric step-through moped, or scooter, with a single hub motor in the rear wheel. It highly resembles Yamaha’s Vino line of mopeds, which usually feature a 150 cc engine instead of an EV powertrain. The e-moped does not seem to be solely Chery’s creation, as similar models have existed on the Chinese market for almost two decades. E-moped manufacturers often share components and body shells, using hub motors and lead-acid batteries to cut costs. Clone bikes are available online on Chinese shopping sites at around 2,000 yuan (300 USD), offering a complete bike with less than 2 kWh of battery capacity and a riding range of 50 km or less. Clone e-mopeds once dominated China’s two-wheeled market with Honda Zoomer, Yamaha Jog, and Vespa lookalikes, though the rise of upmarket brands like Niu, Xiaomi-backed Segway-Ninebot, and CFMOTO’s Zeeho has forced them to focus on the budget sector.

Chery has not announced pricing or specifications for its latest e-moped. However, Chinese sources speculate that the new bike may help the automaker acclimate to two-wheeled production and use a low-cost product to bring assembly lines up to speed. Chery’s commercial vehicle arm received government approval for motorbike production in late September. The firm also showcased two planned NEV-motorbike models at a tech event at its Wuhu headquarters under Chery’s Cinnox brand.

One showcased model is classed as a pure-electric adventure (ADV) scooter with a claimed range of 150 to 200 km. Chery states the bike can be recharged from an automotive charger, though it has not specified if it supports AC or DC charging. The other bike is the Grow C3, an EREV motorbike which Chery calls the world’s first range-extended Artificial Intelligence intelligent cruiser. Chery is positioning the Grow C3 as a V2L-capable camping companion that will replace generators with external power freedom.