Resource · Process
How an e-bike OEM or private label order runs.
Six gates from platform choice to dispatch, and the decision a buyer owns at each one.
In short: an OEM order changes the platform against a written build sheet; a private label order keeps the platform and changes the brand layer. Both run through the same six gates, and the gate that matters most is sample approval - after that, any change is a new configuration rather than a correction.
The six gates
From platform choice to dispatch.
Each gate has one owner and one output. Skipping a gate does not save time; it moves the cost to a later gate.
- Gate 01Platform and marketPick the base platform and name the market. The market decides which power class and documents are relevant, so it comes first.
- Gate 02Build sheetWrite down components, finish, packaging and the branding layer. If it is not on the sheet, it is not in the order.
- Gate 03QuotationPrice, MOQ, Incoterm and lead time issued against the build sheet. Commercial figures are confirmed here, not before.
- Gate 04SampleA sample built to the sheet, approved against the sheet. Sample terms and fees are in the quotation.
- Gate 05Change controlPost-approval changes are documented, re-costed and re-approved. This is what keeps the shipment equal to the sample.
- Gate 06Production and dispatchPayment 30% at confirmation and 70% after production, before dispatch. Inspection at the shipping location on orders of 50 units or more.
Scope
OEM, ODM and private label, in one table.
The three terms are used loosely. This is what each means here.
| Term | What changes | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Private label | Logo, colour, decals and packaging on an unchanged platform. | Fastest route to a branded range. |
| OEM | Components, finish and packaging changed against a build sheet. | A range that has to differ technically from the base platform. |
| ODM | An existing design rebranded with light changes. | Testing a market before committing to engineering. |
What is the first thing to fix in an OEM project?
The base platform and the market. Every later decision - battery system, frame material, branding depth, packaging - is cheaper to change before the build sheet is signed than after the sample is approved.
Who owns the tooling and the design?
That depends on how far the configuration goes. A private-label order reuses an existing platform, so there is no new design to own; a deeper OEM change has to be agreed explicitly. Ownership is confirmed in the quotation rather than assumed.
How long does sample approval take?
It depends on the depth of the change and the component lead times, so it is stated per project in the quotation rather than published as a fixed number of days.
What stops the sample and the shipment drifting apart?
Change control. Anything altered after the sample is approved goes through change control, so the build, the documents and the approved sample stay the same thing.