Imports of Chinese-made electric bicycles and motorcycles are rising at border crossings in North Korea in 2026, driven by surging fuel prices that have made gas-powered vehicles increasingly costly to run. Demand has grown to the point that even wealthy North Koreans who previously considered electric bikes beneath them are now buying them.
A source in North Hamgyong province told Daily NK on Thursday that a range of electric bicycles and motorcycles had recently been imported from China through the Hoeryong city customs point and were being wholesaled to other parts of the country. Demand for both types of vehicle in Hoeryong and Chongjin had grown so sharply that traders who had not previously dealt in these products were entering the import business, intensifying competition. Profit margins per unit are not large, but the high volume of demand is making a high-turnover, low-margin approach worthwhile, the source said.
Electric bikes and motorcycles were available in North Korea before, but they had not become widespread, the source said. That is changing as fuel costs rise. Where wealthier North Koreans once dismissed electric bikes as lacking in status, they are now turning to them for short-distance trips and routine errands to avoid spending fuel.
“Well-off people used to look down on electric bicycles and motorcycles as not worth their attention,” the source said. “But now, when they need to travel a short distance or run a simple errand, they want something that doesn’t require fuel.”
North Koreans who use motorcycles to carry passengers for income have also been taking a closer look at electric models. When fuel prices rise, fares have to go up too — but higher fares drive away customers and cut income. Electric motorcycles are being eyed as a way to keep operating costs down.
Parts shortages compound the fuel burden
At Chongjin’s jangmadang — the informal marketplace that is one of North Korea’s main commercial hubs — an electric bicycle currently sells for between 1,500 and 2,500 Chinese yuan (approximately $221 to $368), while an electric motorcycle runs between 2,500 and 4,000 yuan (approximately $368 to $589). Wealthier North Koreans are buying without hesitation, but for the majority of North Korean people the prices are a stretch. Many opt instead for a used conventional bicycle at around 700 yuan (approximately $103), or simply go on foot, the source added.
The trend is not confined to North Hamgyong province. A source in Ryanggang province confirmed that imports of electric bicycles and motorcycles through the Hyesan city customs point have also increased, with goods flowing from Hyesan into interior cities and counties across the province. The Ryanggang source pointed to a second factor compounding the fuel problem: a prolonged disruption to state-level smuggling operations has left vehicle parts in short supply for nearly six months, pushing up repair costs as well as fuel costs.
“Transport trends change fast here,” the Ryanggang source said. “For a while, three-wheeled vehicles were popular, then over the past few years people moved toward passenger cars — and now electric bicycles and motorcycles are what people want.” The spread of electric bikes and motorcycles into provincial cities and counties has also created new work opportunities for North Koreans involved in packaging and delivery, the source said.
Reporting from inside North Korea
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June 26, 2026 at 10:45PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)