“OEM” covers arrangements that differ enormously in cost, lead time and commitment, from applying a badge to a standard unit through to engineering a configuration that does not yet exist. Agreeing which is intended before quotations are exchanged is what lets a manufacturer quote precisely and deliver to that specification. MPMC POWERTECH CORP., established in 2008 and headquartered in Shanghai Pudong, publishes OEM and ODM capability alongside a dedicated storage manufacturing base.
MPMC BCH-800-600 mobile BESS charger
Three Levels, Priced Very Differently
The first level is cosmetic: paint colour, badging, decal scheme and documentation branding on an otherwise standard unit. It carries the shortest lead time and the lowest minimum order, and it answers most enquiries that arrive described as customisation.
The second is configuration: selecting output, capacity, connector type, coating class and control options from what the manufacturer already supports. MPMC lists rated DC output from 80 kW to 600 kW and storage from 70 kWh to 1,075 kWh across five models, CCS2 as standard with CCS1, GB/T and CHAdeMO as options, a DC output voltage range of 50 to 1,000 V on the BCH-275-200 and above, and C4 coating standard with C5 optional on the BCH-800-600.
The third is engineering: a chassis layout, control scheme or pack arrangement that does not yet exist. This is where a manufacturer with its own design and assembly capability adds the most value, and it carries development time, prototype cost and a defined minimum quantity. Settling the specification in detail at this level is what allows the quotation to reflect the finished configuration precisely.
Where Selection Ends and Engineering Begins
|
Requirement |
Available by selection |
May require engineering |
|
Output and capacity |
Five published models from 80 kW / 70 kWh to 500 kW / 1,075 kWh |
A ratio outside the published combinations |
|
Connectors |
CCS2 standard; CCS1, GB/T and CHAdeMO optional |
A connector type outside the published options |
|
Voltage window |
50–1,000 V DC output on the BCH-275-200 and above |
A window outside that range for unusual machinery |
|
Protection |
C4 standard; C5 optional on the BCH-800-600 |
Protection beyond the published classes |
|
Chassis |
3.5 t trailer; 20 ft container footprint on larger models |
A non-standard footprint or mounting arrangement |
|
Control |
EMS with OCPP 1.6 and an open cloud-ready API |
Bespoke control logic or a proprietary third-party interface |
The practical rule is that changes inside the electrical architecture or the enclosure structure warrant a certification conversation, while selection within the published range usually does not. Asking early costs nothing.
The Manufacturing Base Behind the Claim
MPMC lists a dedicated storage base at Yangzhong with a stated USD 27 million investment, a 19,000 m² workshop and a 3,300 m² research centre, equipped with one semi-automatic and one fully automatic battery pack assembly line and automated storage and hybrid system assembly lines, and listed as producing ODM LFP battery packs.
Owned assembly matters for a badged order because it determines whether a specification change is a production instruction or a negotiation with a subcontractor. It also determines whether the same configuration can be held across a repeat order, which is what a buyer placing phased orders is ultimately relying on.
MPMC BCH-275-200 mobile BESS charger
Consistency Across a Repeat Order
For a badge holder the attention naturally falls on the first unit, but the commercial exposure sits with the twentieth. Three contractual measures cover most of it: a named parts list with a written duty to notify any component change, a first-article approval repeated whenever the configuration moves, and a fixed test report template.
A retained reference sample is worth adding where finish matters, since coating and colour variation is visible and difficult to resolve after delivery. Recording acceptable substitution criteria in the contract keeps later phases straightforward to release.
Certification Under a Badge
Certificates are issued against a specific product and market, so a modified configuration may need its own documentation rather than inheriting the standard unit’s. MPMC lists product-page compliance references including IEC 61851, IEC 61000, IEC 62477, IEC 62933 and UN38.3 depending on model.
UN38.3 concerns battery transport specifically, and a change affecting the pack or its enclosure can affect that position. Where a badged product will travel internationally, the transport documentation should be confirmed for the modified configuration rather than carried across from the standard unit.
Warranty and Support Under a Private Label
Private labelling changes who the end customer contacts but not who performs the work. MPMC’s published terms list a system warranty of 3 years or 1.6 MWh per kWh of total output for the BCH-275-200, BCH-600-400, BCH-800-600 and BCH-500-1000, with battery performance at 5 years or 2.57 MWh per kWh and end-of-life capacity retention of at least 70%. The BCH-80-70 is listed separately at 1 year or 60 MWh with a 3-year or 200 MWh battery warranty.
A badge holder inherits those terms and will have to explain them to end customers, so they belong in the OEM agreement rather than being discovered at the first claim. Minimum order quantity, price break points and repeat-order lead time should be settled in the same conversation.
Lead Time Is Part of the Decision
Every step away from a standard configuration adds time as well as cost, and on a programme with a launch date that schedule cost is frequently larger than the price difference. A cosmetic change may add days, a configuration change weeks, and an engineered change a development cycle.
MPMC states that lead times for both standard and customised products are confirmed per order against configuration and current production scheduling. Pricing the schedule alongside the specification — establishing what the standard product delivers and when, then testing whether each requested change earns its lead time — is what identifies the requirements worth engineering.
What an OEM Agreement Should Specify
• State which level is intended: cosmetic, configuration or engineering.
• Establish what the published range already covers before requesting engineering.
• Record a named parts list with a written duty to notify any component change.
• Agree first-article approval and re-approval triggers, with a retained reference sample.
• Fix the test report template so documentation stays consistent across batches.
• Confirm certification and transport documentation for the modified configuration.
• Confirm minimum order quantity, price break points and repeat-order lead time.
• Define the warranty claim route under the badge, including the differing terms by model.
https://www.mpmc-group.com/
MPMC Powertech Corp.
