"Live the tech – ride the future” was the theme for the recent CFMOTO Experience hosted at their Hangzhou headquarters in China.
Rural News was invited, along with journalists from 29 countries, to the two-day event, which offered a look into the Chinese brand’s global strategic vision and cross-border capabilities for the first time. It can only be described as an in-depth look at all aspects of their business.
Based in China and operating in more than 100 countries and regions, CFMOTO continues to expand its global presence. By strengthening its capabilities, the company says it will continue to grow internationally.
The two days Rural News spent at the Hangzhou HQ consisted of an extensive tour of the manufacturing plants for both 2-wheeled bikes and ATV and UTVs. It was a slick operation we witnessed in the factory: The factory was modern and extremely clean and organised. Quality control was obviously one of their main focus points. The vehicle testing stations were just as extensive as the manufacturing stations, where each engine is put through numerous stress tests to ensure performance is 100%, before each bike is disassembled again for packing and shipping.
The R&D and design components of CFMOTO’s products were outstanding. It takes on average five months to complete a design and prototype for a new bike. Dedicated design teams work on every aspect of the bike and consideration to design is based on the target market. All the design team members that Rural News met where young, enthusiastic and obviously extremely well educated in their field.
The other impressive component of CFMOTO’s products is the technology, a lot of which the company says is world leading, such as the 3-in1 E-Drive System which is part of the UForce UTV EV range. Overall, pride in their product is evident at every step of production.
The company is not a small player and it ranks number one in many sectors across various global markets. It says its vision and commitment to investing in development will keep driving it to be one of the biggest and best in its field.
“Our vision is clear: to become a premium global powersports brand,” said Ferdinand Klauser, CBO, CF brand lab & general manager, Brand Management Center. “The mission of CFMOTO is to make the world more inviting, accessible and fun to explore. For us, being global isn’t just about where we sell, it’s about how we operate.”
The New Zealand market is not forgotten when it comes to R&D, with CFMOTO working alongside local dealerships and customers to adjust certain specs of their ATV and side-by-sides specifically for our harsh environment and for farms.
John Chen, vice president of CFMOTO said, “We have been in the New Zealand market for more than 20 years now and have learned a lot about adapting to the environment”.
“This has included suspension, chassis and tyre testing, and we will continue to work with local dealerships to manufacture products that meet the specific needs of the New Zealand market.”