Resource · Commercial
What actually drives e-bike MOQ and custom cost.
Six cost drivers, in the order they should be decided - and the ones that only ever belong in the quotation.
In short: MOQ is flexible and an order can start from a single unit. What a larger order changes is not the ability to buy but the unit economics, and those are driven by six things: platform choice, battery system, frame material, branding depth, packaging and documentation. Payment is 30% deposit and 70% after production.
The six drivers
Decide them in this order.
Each one narrows the options for the next, which is why reversing the order costs money.
- 1. PlatformWheel size and category fix the tyre, the carton and the audience. Changing platform after the sample is a restart, not a revision.
- 2. Battery system36V 8Ah and 48V 10Ah differ on weight, charging time and the charger specification. It cascades into everything downstream.
- 3. Frame materialAluminium alloy and high-carbon steel platforms differ by roughly 3 to 5 kg gross, which is freight cost per unit.
- 4. Branding depthPrivate label (logo, colour, decals, packaging) is the cheapest layer. Component and equipment changes sit above it.
- 5. PackagingCarton dimensions drive container loading, and loading is calculated for the actual order rather than published as a fixed count.
- 6. DocumentationWhich documents a market needs, who holds them and what they cover. Agreed before the order, not discovered at customs.
Fixed vs quoted
What is fixed, and what stays in the quotation.
A buyer should know which numbers are commitments and which are per-order.
| Item | Status | Where it is stated |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum order quantity | Flexible - an order can start from a single unit. | Confirmed per configuration in the quotation. |
| Payment schedule | Fixed. | 30% deposit on confirmation, 70% after production and before dispatch. |
| Incoterm | FOB, CIF or DDP. | Confirmed for the destination port in the quotation. |
| Unit price | Never published. | Quotation, against the agreed build sheet. |
| Lead time | Never published. | Quotation, per configuration and volume. |
| Container loading | Never published as a fixed count. | Calculated from the actual carton plan. |
| Sample fee | Never published. | Quotation. |
Can I order one bike?
Yes. MOQ is flexible and an order can start from a single unit, which is how most buyers test a platform before committing to a production run.
Why is there no published price list?
Because the same platform is a different product once the battery system, frame material, branding depth and packaging change. A price that ignores those four is a number, not a quotation.
What is the most expensive change to make later?
The battery system and the frame. Both cascade into weight, carton size, charger and documentation, which is why they are fixed at the build sheet rather than at the sample stage.
Does a bigger order always cost less per unit?
Usually, but not automatically - it depends on where the component break points are for the specific configuration. Volume pricing is issued in the quotation.