A store to fix motorbikes and electric scooters opens to customers in downtown Shanghai on May 31. Photo: Wu Shiliu

Since Shanghai started to reopen from a two-month coronavirus lockdown on June 1, the sales of electric bicycles have been surging as city citizens seek more agile and convenient transport as they adjust to COVID-prevention normality.

Chinese bike-sharing giant Hello Inc has seen its sales of electric bicycles nearly double in Shanghai since June 1, according to a statement sent to the Global Times by the company on Monday.

Some popular models were even sold out during the period in some of their outlets in Shanghai, the company said. Hello Inc now has about 100 offline outlets in Shanghai and is planning to expand its network over the next three to six months. 

On the first day of Shanghai's removing the lockdown, a post went viral on Chinese social media platforms showing a Shanghai resident buying three luxury bags in a mall and riding away on her electric bike.

"Public transit now requires the passengers to present a negative nucleic acid result within 48-72 hours, and it takes time to scan the health codes," a Shanghai resident surnamed Chen told the Global Time, noting that having an electric bike would be more convenient for short-distance commute.

Along with increasing oil prices, electric bicycle sales have also seen marked growth in other Chinese cities. The sales of electric bikes surged by 30 percent year-on-year in the first five months of 2022 in Guangzhou, South China's Guangzhou Province, Chinanews.com reported on June 10.

Global Times