As supply and demand for electric bicycles and motorized scooters rise simultaneously across North Korea in 2026, a growing number of people are having their vehicles modified well beyond factory specifications to haul cargo and carry passengers for pay.
According to a Daily NK source in North Pyongan province on Wednesday, traders and transport workers in Sinuiju, Ryongchon county, and Yomju county have increasingly been using electric bicycles and scooters as commercial vehicles. Performance modifications to boost load capacity beyond rated limits and increase top speed have become widespread.
Reinforcing the frame to carry heavy cargo and passengers, adding auxiliary fittings, and installing higher-output batteries to increase motor power are now considered essential upgrades, the source said.
“These days, the focus is not just on riding electric bicycles and motorbikes but on modifying them to carry as much cargo as possible and take on passengers to make money,” the source said. “People are even saying that what you earn depends on what you spend on modifications.”
Rising fuel costs push traders toward electric alternatives
The modification trend has accelerated sharply in recent months. Fuel price increases driven by turmoil in the Middle East have pushed up transport costs on so-called beollyi-cha — privately operated freight and passenger vehicles that operate outside the state distribution system — nearly doubling fares within a short period. As a result, electric-powered two-wheelers have attracted attention as a lower-cost alternative.
“Among traders, the mood is that you have to get by on electric bicycles and motorbikes instead of fuel-hungry beollyi-cha,” the source said.
That opening has fueled demand from those looking to maximize their earnings, which in turn has driven the surge in performance modification requests.
The speed limiters installed on Chinese-imported electric bicycles and scooters have also contributed to modification demand. China legally restricts the top speed of such vehicles and manufactures them so that they will not exceed a set limit. In North Korea, however, where the prevailing view is that earnings depend directly on speed, many people are having those limiters removed and extra batteries installed to boost motor output. Technicians who specialize in these upgrades are now doing a brisk business.
“These days, the mechanics who increase battery capacity to boost power are earning good money,” the source said. “Thanks to people who are used to fixing and making do with whatever works, modification techniques are evolving by the day.”
Some observers have raised concerns about the risks of reckless speeding and overloading, warning that accidents will increase and vehicle lifespans shorten. Even so, for traders and transport workers under immediate financial pressure, performance modification is seen not as an option but as a matter of survival, and demand is expected to continue for the foreseeable future.
Reporting from inside North Korea
Daily NK operates networks of sources inside North Korea who document events in real-time and transmit information through secure channels. Unlike reporting based on state media, satellite imagery, or defector accounts from years past, our journalism comes directly from people currently living under the regime. We verify reports through multiple independent sources and cross-reference details before publication.
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April 23, 2026 at 04:20AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)