One base to serve Europe: why ENGWE chose Luxembourg

When ENGWE, a Chinese electric bicycle brand founded in 2014 in Shenzhen, started looking for a location for its European business hub, two countries naturally stood out: Germany and the Netherlands, the two biggest e-bike markets in Europe. A meeting with Joy Zhao, a Chinese automotive professional with experience from both the US and Europe, made them change their mind. Today, ENGWE’s expansion in the EU is led from Luxembourg, with Joy as the CEO of the company’s European headquarters.  

Being connected, building trust 

ENGWE initially focused on the domestic Chinese market. After a few years, exports to Europe began via an online sales platform, but there was potential for more. This, however, required setting up a team in Europe.  

“To build a strong brand, you need local sales and after-sales service teams.” 
Joy Zhao, ENGWE

“To build a strong brand, you need local sales and after-sales service teams,” Joy points out. “ENGWE also wanted to develop its business-to-business (B2B) activities through partnerships with leasing companies that offer e-bikes and other means of transport as employee benefits. This requires meeting partners face to face and building relationships based on trust. After working 15 years in Luxembourg, I knew that this well-connected country would support that.” 

“Luxembourg’s central location in Western Europe and well-developed logistics infrastructure make it easy to dispatch products and spare parts to dealers in different countries.” 
Joy Zhao, ENGWE

She also saw the need for a physically well-connected location. ENGWE primarily targets Germany, France and the Benelux countries, all while keeping its eyes on Scandinavia and Southern Europe as well. Instead of choosing one of them as the main location, she proposed a location from which it would be easy to serve them all. “Luxembourg’s central location in Western Europe and well-developed logistics infrastructure make it easy to dispatch products and spare parts to dealers in different countries,” she notes. “The country also offers long-term stability and favourable tax and VAT rates that help offset the relatively high cost level. After having worked here for 15 years I knew Luxembourg well, and my arguments convinced ENGWE that this was the right place.” 

Luxembourg: One introduction leads to the next 

ENGWE’s Luxembourg presence was established in 2025 alongside the development of MapFour, a premium subsidiary brand aiming to develop premium e-bikes and bring them to market through a dedicated European dealer network. Joy started the work of building a network of partners. She also met Younhee Kim, Senior Advisor – International Business Relationships at Luxinnovation, the national innovation agency, who helped her expand her contacts in Luxembourg. Younhee invited her to several relevant events and introduced her to the Ministry of the Economy. 

“In many places, it is impossible to reach the top decision makers. But here, everything is possible.” 
Joy Zhao, ENGWE

“The government here is committed to supporting new technologies, including in the automotive and smart mobility field. It supports international companies to get rooted here,” Joy comments. She was pleasantly surprised to notice how accessible key officials are. “In many places, it is impossible to reach the top decision makers. But here, everything is possible.” 

11 people, 7 nationalities, one team 

After one year of operation, ENGWE’s European staff has already grown to 11. It includes sales, marketing, after-sales support and admin professionals. The team reflects Luxembourg’s international population and includes seven different nationalities and extensive language skills. “This helps us build our international connections,” Joy explains.  

Finding the right talent to join the company turned out not to be very complicated. “People like to come to Luxembourg to work,” she says, referring both to the foreign nationals who make up almost half of the country’s population and the more than 230,000 cross-border workers who come every day from Belgium, Germany and France. “This is not only because the salaries here tend to be higher than in the neighbouring countries. We saw a lot of interest in joining a big Chinese company and being part of developing it here in Europe.” 

From Luxembourg to 60+ e-bike dealers across Europe 

Since ENGWE’s establishment in Luxembourg, it has built a network of over 60 dealers across Europe for MapFour and numerous bike service points. Its first own flagship store opened in June 2026 in Amsterdam, and more are to follow.  

Innovation is the next item on the agenda. ENGWE's bikes already combine artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technology through sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. Joy wants to add innovation activities to the headquarters in Luxembourg, drawing on the R&D support that the Ministry of the Economy offers to eligible companies. 

She also hopes that the network she has built here will help her connect with investors who can support the company's next phase. “We are open to discuss with any financial investor interested in our project,” Joy confirms. One thing is clear: ENGWE is here to stay.