Delivery drivers and commuters hire IT geeks to remove controls that regulate speeds
Electric scooters in China are popular among delivery riders. Picture: BLOOMBERG
Electric two-wheelers sold by companies such as Niu Technologies have been well-received in China’s megacities by delivery drivers and commuters who need to bypass traffic and travel short distances in little time. Their popularity has endured despite a 2019 move by the government to force manufacturers to cap speeds at 25km/h.
“Everybody does it,” said Zhao, a 25-year-old rider, who asked not to be identified by his full name since the practice is against government rules. He asked a salesman to remove the controls before he even drove his new scooter off the lot in 2021. “If you don’t do it, you will be the slowest on the road,” he said.
No data exists on speed-hacking, but analysts and drivers say it happens for the majority of scooters sold. The practice is especially prevalent for the delivery drivers who are the lifeblood of major Chinese cities and need the extra speed to beat delivery time limits set by their platforms, said BloombergNEF analyst Siyi Mi.
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