Electric Mobility Scooter Supplier Factory Audit Guide

Electric Mobility Scooter Supplier Factory Audit Guide: A Comprehensive Approach from Compliance to Quality

Driven by the accelerating global aging population and the widespread adoption of green transportation concepts, the demand for electric mobility scooters continues to rise. For overseas buyers and brands, choosing a reliable supplier is a core prerequisite for business success, and on-site factory audits are a crucial step in mitigating cooperation risks and ensuring products meet market requirements. Unlike conventional procurement assessments, electric mobility scooters involve special requirements such as electrical safety and medical device compliance (in some markets), necessitating a more precise verification system during factory audits. This article will provide a general yet professional factory audit framework, covering three main modules: pre-audit preparation, core dimension verification, and subsequent evaluation and follow-up.

I. Pre-Audit: Precise Planning, Laying a Solid Foundation for Verification

Factory audits are not blind visits; thorough preliminary preparation can significantly improve efficiency and avoid overlooking critical risk points. The core lies in clarifying your own needs and compliance benchmarks, while also completing a preliminary screening of supplier information.

1. Clarifying Core Needs and Compliance Standards

First, it is necessary to identify the mandatory requirements that the product must meet, based on the characteristics of the target market, to avoid subsequent losses due to mismatched standards. For example, electric mobility scooters exported to the EU must comply with Regulation (EU) 2017/745, and when clearly classified as Class I medical devices, they need to pass certifications such as EN 12184 (standard specific to electric wheelchairs and mobility scooters) and EN 60601-1 (medical electrical safety standard); those sold to the US market require FDA registration and relevant safety testing; and regardless of the market, the core component, the lithium battery, must pass UN38.3 transportation safety certification to ensure safety in scenarios such as high altitude, vibration, and short circuits.

At the same time, it is necessary to clarify your own business needs, including production capacity (such as minimum monthly supply), product customization capabilities (such as appearance design and function upgrades), and warranty period (the industry standard is 6-12 months), which will serve as important references for factory audit evaluation.

2. In-depth Research of Supplier Background Information

Before the factory audit, it is necessary to collect basic supplier information through multiple channels to complete preliminary risk filtering. Third-party commercial databases can be used to verify the company’s business qualifications and legal litigation records, with a focus on environmental penalties and labor disputes. Industry reports or customer reviews can provide insights into their cooperation history (e.g., whether they have collaborated with leading brands) and market reputation (e.g., product failure rate, after-sales response speed). Suppliers should be required to provide core qualification documents in advance, including business licenses (clearly specifying the production scope of electric mobility scooters), ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 quality management system certifications, and certification certificates for target export markets (e.g., CE, FDA), to initially assess the soundness of their compliance foundation.

II. During Factory Inspection: Focusing on Five Core Dimensions for In-depth Verification

On-site factory inspections should revolve around five core dimensions: “compliance, production capacity, product quality, supply chain resilience, and social responsibility.” A comprehensive assessment of the supplier’s overall strength should be conducted through “document verification + on-site inspection + practical verification.”

1. Qualifications and Compliance: Maintaining the “Red Line” of Cooperation

Compliance is a prerequisite for cooperation; any missing qualification may prevent products from entering the market or even lead to legal risks. This stage requires a focus on verifying three types of documents:

- Production and System Qualifications: In addition to basic business licenses and production permits, the validity of quality management system certifications must be verified (e.g., IATF 16949 must cover production processes related to automobiles and mobility scooters), and whether the system documents include practical content such as APQP product quality planning processes and FMEA risk analysis mechanisms. If the supplier is involved in lithium battery production, pollution discharge permits and hazardous waste treatment qualifications issued by environmental protection departments must also be verified.

- Product Certification Documents: Complete certification documents for the corresponding market must be provided. For example, EU CE certification requires technical documents (risk analysis report, declaration of conformity), and EN 12184 full test reports (covering mechanical strength, braking performance, battery life, etc.). Lithium batteries require UN38.3 test reports (clearly including eight test items T1-T8 and qualified conclusions). The consistency between certification documents and actual products should also be verified to avoid discrepancies. – Traceability System: Review incoming material inspection reports, production process records, and finished product testing reports. Records must be retained for at least 3 years and allow for full traceability from raw materials to finished products using a unique identifier (such as a product serial number), ensuring that the root cause of any problem can be identified within 48 hours.

2. Production System: Verify Production Capacity and Process Control Capabilities

The production system directly determines the stability of product delivery and quality consistency. Assessment should focus on two aspects: “scale matching” and “process control precision”:

- Production Capacity and Flexible Manufacturing Capabilities: Conduct on-site inspection of factory area, number of production lines (e.g., assembly lines, testing lines), and equipment aging. Verify maintenance records of key equipment (such as battery welding machines, motor testing equipment) through equipment logs; inquire about the maximum production capacity of the production line and current order saturation, and assess whether it can cope with market demand fluctuations (e.g., a plan to handle a 50% increase in orders during peak season); if there are customized requirements, assess whether there is an independent R&D and pilot production line and the ability to quickly adjust processes.

- Process Quality Control: Follow VDA6.3 process audit standards, and verify control measures for key processes, such as whether there are error-proofing devices in the battery assembly process, and whether motor testing is performed with 100% full inspection (test items include power output and response speed); require CPK (Process Capability Index) data for key processes, and core component production processes must meet the industry excellent standard of CPK ≥ 1.67; review the workshop’s “man, machine, material, method, and environment” management situation, such as partitioned moisture-proof storage of raw materials, qualified personnel wearing identification badges, and records of temperature and humidity control in the production environment.

3. Product Quality: Focusing on Core Components and Finished Product Performance

The quality of electric mobility scooters is centered on “safety” and “durability,” requiring a focus on core component testing and finished product performance verification:

- Core Component Verification: Batteries, motors, and frames are critical to product quality. The battery needs to be checked to ensure it uses cells that meet the UN38.3 standard. Review the supplier’s cooperation agreement with the cell manufacturer and the incoming material inspection reports (focusing on capacity, cycle life, and overcharge protection performance). The motor brand needs to be verified (well-known brands such as Bafang and Nanpu are more reliable), and the power parameters need to be checked (1500W or higher is recommended to ensure sufficient power). On-site load testing should be conducted on a sample. The frame requires checking the material testing report (such as aluminum alloy composition analysis) to confirm that its strength and corrosion resistance meet the standards, and observing the welding process for any defects such as incomplete or missing welds.

- Finished Product Testing and Verification: Visit the finished product testing workshop to confirm whether a complete testing process is in place, including braking performance testing (braking distance under no-load/full-load conditions), range testing (simulating actual road conditions), and electromagnetic compatibility testing (to prevent interference and loss of control from devices such as mobile phones); randomly select 1-2 finished products for on-site testing of key functions (such as speed control, steering, and lighting), and check the appearance and workmanship (such as paint uniformity and door seal installation). Details best reflect the manufacturer’s quality awareness.

4. Supply Chain Resilience: Avoiding Supply Disruptions and Cost Risks

A stable supply chain is the guarantee of long-term cooperation. The supplier’s upstream management capabilities and risk response mechanisms need to be evaluated:

- Second-Tier Supplier Management: Request a list of second-tier suppliers for core components (such as batteries and motors), and verify whether a “dual supplier” mechanism is established (i.e., at least two alternative suppliers for key components); inquire about the evaluation process for second-tier suppliers and whether they implement the same quality standards (such as regular factory audits and KPI assessments).

- Inventory and Emergency Management: Review the inventory records of raw materials and finished products warehouses, and assess the safety stock level (e.g., whether the inventory of core components meets 15 days of production needs); understand the contingency plans for extreme situations, such as cost control and delivery adjustment measures in case of raw material price increases or logistics disruptions. 5. Social Responsibility: Meeting Global ESG Development Requirements

With the popularization of the global ESG concept, social responsibility has become a crucial indicator in supplier selection. Some overseas brands even consider it a “deal-breaker”:

- Labor Rights Protection: Verify employee labor contracts and wage payment records to confirm the absence of child labor and forced labor, and that overtime hours comply with local regulations; review employee training records, ensuring that key positions (such as electricians and welders) require certification, and that safety protection equipment (such as safety helmets and insulated gloves) is fully provided.

- Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development: Check the operating records of wastewater and exhaust gas treatment facilities to confirm that emissions meet standards; inquire about carbon neutrality plans, such as whether green electricity is used, whether there is a battery recycling program, etc., to comply with future policy trends such as the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

III. After the Factory Audit: Establishing a Dynamic Evaluation and Long-Term Collaboration Mechanism

Factory audits are not a one-time event; continuous optimization of the supply chain requires scientific follow-up management.

1. Quantitative Scoring and Risk Classification

Establish a weighted scoring system based on the factory audit results. Suggested weight distribution: Quality System (40%), Compliance Qualifications (25%), Production Capacity (20%), Social Responsibility (10%), Supply Chain Resilience (5%). Suppliers are classified into “Strategic Level (≥85 points)”, “Cooperative Level (70-84 points)”, and “Alternative Level (<70 points)” based on their scores. Strategic suppliers are given priority in order allocation, cooperative suppliers require clear corrective actions, and alternative suppliers are placed on a watch list.

2. Corrective Action Follow-up and Performance Monitoring

For problems found during the factory audit (e.g., a certain process CPK not meeting standards, incomplete environmental records), suppliers are required to submit corrective action plans and supporting materials within a specified period, and a second factory audit may be conducted if necessary; after cooperation begins, a monthly KPI monitoring system is established, with core indicators including: product PPM defect rate, on-time delivery rate (industry benchmark is above 98%), and quality problem response speed (within 48 hours). Performance is reviewed quarterly, and cooperation levels are adjusted dynamically. 3. Building a Collaborative Upgrade Ecosystem

For strategic suppliers, we can promote their capability improvement through technology sharing (such as synchronizing new vehicle development requirements) and joint training (such as training on new energy technology upgrades); we encourage suppliers to participate in cutting-edge technology research and development (such as solid-state battery applications), forming a long-term cooperative relationship of “shared risks and co-created value” to jointly cope with market competition.

Conclusion: The essence of factory audits is risk mitigation and value matching

Factory audits for electric mobility device suppliers are essentially about mitigating cooperation risks through systematic verification, while simultaneously achieving a precise match between our own needs and the supplier’s capabilities. From the detailed requirements of EU CE certification to the eight tests of lithium battery UN38.3, and even every production record in the workshop, all directly relate to product market access and brand reputation.