Adiva Taiwan Starts Up Mass Production of Italian-approved Scooters at New Plant

About two years and four months of considerable industry, eight months ahead of schedule, has finally enabled Active Mobiles Co., Ltd. (Adiva Taiwan) to start up mass production at a brand-new plant in the Benchou Industry Zone, Kaohsiung County of southern Taiwan.

Total investment in the new plant, including tooling supplied by Adiva Italy, has already totaled about NT$500 million (US$16.4 million at US$1: NT$30.5), excluding future investment to build an engine plant and a global logistics center in the same zone. The planners aim to turn out initially 2,000 upscale scooters annually in one shift.

Adiva Taiwan will gradually raise production of the AD125 and AD 200 high-end scooters, which are fitted with a patented modular convertible roof-one that allows riders to stow in seconds the roof inside the rear storage and remove the optional windscreen. Such design offers personalized riding: allowing riders to set up the scooter according to preference and weather conditions.

AD scooters are, according to Adiva Tawian, one of the best urban commuters carrying rider and passenger in total freedom in all weather and traffic conditions. Simply, Adiva scooters enhance urban riding and commuting, especially in settings with unpredictable rains as in Asia.

The first 40-foot containerful of Adiva AD scooters were shipped in mid-August, to Japan, which is expected to be a key market in Asia.

World-caliber Team

Adiva Taiwan's man-in-charge says that Adiva Italy fully granted technical and product authorizations to produce scooters in Taiwan (except for the 400cc AD scooters currently assembled in Italy). All future scooters will be designed and developed in Italy but made in Taiwan. "Italian design coupled with made-in-Taiwan quality equal to international competitiveness," the man-behind-the-scenes touts confidently. In the future, a Italian design team will also come to the island for setting up a design division at Adiva Taiwan.

Maintaining, the Adiva Taiwan executive points out that the corporate management team consists of world-class, experienced, talented professionals of design, manufacturing, marketing, and sales. Driven by passion for the motorcycle business, each team member aims to continue develop a line of mostly scooters brandishing various concepts, propulsion systems such as upscale "trikes" and electrical scooters etc.

Backed by a world-caliber team and superior-quality, cost-efficient manufacturing in Taiwan, Adiva Taiwan claims, the company would soon race to the head of the pack globally-offering both niche products and outstanding comparative advantages.

"The current matured motorcycle market worldwide forces players to achieve competitiveness not only via offering new, innovative products-which is prerequisite-but integrated 'ability' in distribution deployment, after-sales services and international parts logistics, which are our forte," says the Adiva Taiwan executive. Also we are confident that our international team is ready to make Adiva Taiwan a highly efficient player globally-able to offer prompt response in markets and to consumers."

New Models Ahead

In addition to the AD scooters, in fact, Adiva Taiwan is fully ready to develop more innovative, trendy products, including a light electric rim-motor type scooter, with long cruise range and high maximum speed, as well as extra-large storage for maximized hauling utility.

Adiva Taiwan also plans to introduce "trikes" that, according to the man-in-charge, "will totally revolutionize people's stereotype of three-wheeled scooters, with such new products also designed to inspire European consumers."

"Adiva Taiwan's goal, from day one," he claims, "is to design, develop and build niche products rather than pedestrian, mass-market items in volume. To me, at least, offering mass market scooters is within the capacity of most players. Adiva Taiwan is especially well-positioned to take on such ambitious challenge, for the island is an excellent production base for powered two-wheelers (PTW)-which has well-established and globally-competitive parts supply chains fully ready to supply high-quality parts in small volumes. After studying almost every Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nation and China, we saw Taiwan as an obvious choice for the factory site."

Confidence-driven Progress

Having successfully shipped the first batch of scooters to Japan, Adiva Taiwan has already mapped out future, second and third-stage expansion projects.

The man-in-charge, a famous veteran in the local PTW industry, says the second-stage project includes building a new office complex, with a R&D center, occupying about 200 pings (1 ping=35.58 sq. ft.), as well as, in the third-stage, a distribution center and global logistic center.

"Get set to witness the unstoppable progress of Adiva Taiwan within the near future," he boasts coolly as perspiration turns transparent his just-pressed, bespoke linen shirt under the searing southern Taiwan sun.