Want to Create Your Own Scooter Brand? Here Are Some Things You Need to Understand About Oem Sourcing

In the past two years, there has been a significant increase in inquiries about “how to do OEM/ODM for folding scooters.” The micro-mobility sector seems to have low barriers to entry—find a factory, put on a label, and it seems like you can start selling. However, in practice, you’ll find there are many intricate details that many beginners didn’t anticipate during the initial planning stages. Today, let’s discuss this from a few practical perspectives.

First, think clearly: Do you want OEM or ODM?

These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they actually represent two different models of cooperation.

OEM, simply put, means the factory produces according to the design and specifications you provide. You just print your brand logo on it. The product design itself may be the factory’s standard model, or you may provide your own drawings. ODM goes a step further. The factory participates in the product design process. You provide your requirements and direction, and the factory’s design team completes the specific product development.

For most newcomers to the market, ODM is actually a more realistic option. Product development involves structural design, circuit design, and mold development, all of which require professional teams and experience. Designing a scooter from scratch is costly and time-consuming. Choosing a basic model from a factory’s mature solutions and then differentiating it in appearance, color scheme, and some configurations is a more common and reliable approach.

MOQ: The Logic Behind Minimum Order Quantity

Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) is the first “hurdle” many new brands encounter. The MOQ varies greatly between different factories and product lines, ranging from dozens to hundreds or even thousands of units.

The MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) is related to many factors, the most direct being the degree of customization of the mold and packaging. If it’s just a matter of customizing the logo and color without modifying the mold, the MOQ is usually relatively low. However, if it involves opening a mold for the outer shell and designing and producing a custom packaging box, these one-time costs need to be amortized into the order quantity, which will naturally increase the MOQ.

Here’s a suggestion: For your first order, don’t necessarily aim for “complete customization.” Start by using the factory’s existing molds and focus on relatively low-cost aspects like color, labeling, instructions, and packaging. Once the product has achieved some sales volume in the market, then consider whether it’s worthwhile to invest in more in-depth customization. This way, you can keep the initial financial burden and inventory risk within a reasonable range.

Delivery time: Requires more advance planning than you might imagine.

Delivery time management is another aspect that is easily underestimated. A folding scooter involves many components, including batteries, motors, electronic controls, tires, and frames. Each component has its own production cycle, and factories need to coordinate these components. Adding the time for assembly, quality inspection, and packaging, the entire cycle is often longer than it “sounds.”

Especially in the logistics of batteries, due to the special regulations for the transportation of dangerous goods, the process is more complicated than that of ordinary goods, whether by air or sea, and the delivery time will also be affected. If you plan to launch the product during a peak sales season, it is advisable to allow for more flexibility in the delivery time and factor in these “hidden time costs” in advance to avoid finding the goods still at sea at the critical moment.

The issue of “standards” in communication

During communication with factories, we often encounter situations where both parties have different understandings of “standards”. For example, you might understand “waterproof” as “no problem getting wet in the rain”, but the factory might only understand it as “preventing splashes”. The corresponding IP protection levels are different.

There are many similar situations. For example, the figure of “how many kilometers of range” is determined under what test conditions—flat ground, constant speed, weight of the rider, ambient temperature—these variables will significantly affect the actual figure. When communicating requirements, try to transform these vague adjectives into specific, verifiable standards or test conditions. This can greatly reduce rework and disputes caused by misunderstandings later on.

The OEM/ODM path isn’t complicated, but it does require some preliminary work. First, figure out whether you want “white-labeling” or “participation in design,” then rationally plan the customization depth and quantity of your first order, leaving room for delivery time, and try to turn vague descriptions into specific standards during communication—once you’ve thought these things through, the subsequent cooperation process will be much smoother.

We will continue to compile more specific information about factory selection and factory inspection to provide more reference for friends who are considering entering the market.