Chinese electric mobility specialist Niu Technologies has just unveiled the expanded XQi lineup for 2026, and the big news here is how far this once quirky off-road electric platform has grown. What started as a lightweight play bike is now pushing into proper small-displacement motorcycle territory.
Let's kick things off with the XQi 500. This is the bike where Niu stops flirting with the idea of a “motorcycle” and actually commits. At a claimed peak output of 39.1 horsepower and a top speed of about 68 miles per hour, it lands squarely in road-legal 125cc-equivalent territory. That matters because this is the first XQi that was actually designed for urban riders who want real performance and proper go-anywhere hardware.
