VanMoof is again with a brand new customized e-bike and rebooted restore community via NewsFlicks

Dutch e-bike startup VanMoof is again two years after chapter with its first type designed underneath new management. And regardless of previous grievance that VanMoof’s over-reliance on customized portions ended in the corporate’s downfall, the S6 sticks to the logo’s signature bespoke design. 

Lately, VanMoof is making a bet that higher-quality customized portions, along a extra powerful servicing community, will permit it to stick true to its design-forward, tech-heavy core, whilst heading off the restore and servicing pitfalls that got here out of scaling a specialised product too briefly.  

“I don’t suppose there’s a explanation why for VanMoof to exist if we’re going to make use of off-the-shelf portions like everybody else,” co-CEO Elliot Wertheimer advised TechCrunch behind the curtain at Micromobility Europe in Brussels this week. “We’re right here to push design, to have a motorcycle that, in case you’ve by no means ridden an e-bike on your lifestyles, you get on it and it’s intuitive. Simple, like an iPhone.”

VanMoof up to now raised greater than $200 million in enterprise capital and won a cult following for its top rate, minimalist-designed e-bikes supplied with built-in lighting, batteries, and motors.

VanMoof’s distinctive promoting level changed into its largest legal responsibility. Like many venture-backed {hardware} companies, the corporate grew too briefly to function sustainably. When motorcycles broke down, consumers had been left stranded via an underdeveloped restore community and constrained provide — a end result of the corporate’s determination to make use of customized portions as an alternative of off-the-shelf parts. 

The startup filed for chapter in July 2023. A month later it used to be scooped up via e-scooter maker Lavoie, a trade department of McLaren Carried out, which itself used to be previously part of McLaren Staff that builds portions for the McLaren F1.

Wertheimer stated with toughen from McLaren Carried out’s Components 1 experience, VanMoof used to be in a position to revamp each part that had led to problems in previous fashions, the use of efficiency information to create extra dependable customized portions. Lots of the ones portions are co-designed with huge producers, which now not handiest assures high quality, but in addition availability of portions must the rest occur to VanMoof once more, consistent with Wertheimer. 

In positive spaces of the trade, VanMoof relented to a extra industry-standard method. The corporate’s batteries, as an example, are actually co-designed and manufactured via Panasonic; VanMoof handiest provides the mechanical and tool integration. Prior to now, VanMoof had led on battery design.  

The actual essential piece, although, is an stepped forward toughen community, consistent with Wertheimer. 

“We fastened the entire trade, from unit economics, logistics, and after-sale provider,” Wertheimer stated. “We couldn’t cross out with one thing new sooner than we arrange the infrastructure to take action.” 

VanMoof has constructed up a community of 250 restore facilities and 130 gross sales companions, and is focusing gross sales on markets like Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. 

“We now have constructed a tech suite for [our repair partners] with regards to the place they are able to purchase parts, a diagnostics app, a right kind monitoring device that tracks which portions went the place, et cetera, to make guaranty claims more uncomplicated for them,” Wertheimer stated, including that VanMoof has arrange a web-based coaching path for mechanic companions. “That’s tremendous smartly arrange and we’re rising the community rapid. We’re including 10 shops per week.”

VanMoof additionally hopes to release within the U.S. via the top of 2025. Then again, Wertheimer stated the ones plans have stalled as the corporate waits to peer how President Trump’s price lists coverage shakes out.

The corporate has already began taking reservations for the S6 in its present lively markets, and expects to ship the primary few thousand cars to start with of August. 

The VanMoof S6: A brand new hope

Consumers had been already complaining about gradual restore occasions sooner than VanMoof’s transient shutdown in 2023. When it went bankrupt, some consumers had been stranded with damaged motorcycles; others who had put down deposits for brand new motorcycles had been out masses of bucks. Accept as true with within the emblem plummeted.  

Whilst some might by no means forgive VanMoof for its screw ups, the brand new S6 may may simply lend a hand consumers have in mind why they cherished the logo within the first position. 

I gave the S6 a snappy spin this week in Brussels and used to be thrilled to in the end perceive why such a lot of riders had as soon as long past gaga for VanMoof. 

It’s a sexy-looking motorbike. The S6 has the enduring VanMoof body, made even sleeker and not using a visual welding. It additionally is available in a number of matte colours, together with an “electrical blue” that seemed extra like lilac to me, and a pearl mint that Wertheimer says “adjustments within the gentle” from white to inexperienced.

“We spent a large number of time at the colours,” he stated. 

The tech options also are spectacular. Wertheimer stated the corporate redesigned the digital suite with lend a hand from McLaren Carried out to make sure longevity even after the motorbike has been thru its paces in rain, chilly, warmth, and different stipulations. 

The S6 platform delivers different options that VanMoof lovers will acknowledge, just like the Halo Ring which replaces a standard show and glows other colours to stay riders knowledgeable about battery lifestyles and pace. The Halo at the S6 is far brighter, addressing proceedings from previous fashions of it being too dim in direct daylight. 

New tech options come with an built-in navigation that pairs the motorbike to an accompanying cell app, offering turn-by-turn instructions by the use of the Halo lighting and sounds. There’s additionally a brand new sound ecosystem, which incorporates a cushy, however company, cricket-like sound {that a} rider can use rather than a bell to alert different street customers to their presence.

Anti-theft options have come ordinary on nearly all VanMoof e-bike fashions, however Wertheimer says the S6 is even higher.

“We now have a brand new monitoring device that’s a lot more correct,” he stated, noting the device is determined by cell tower triangulation, GPS sign, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to decide location of the car inside of two meters. 

Wertheimer additionally stated VanMoof will quickly introduce crash detection and different security measures. 

As for the experience itself, the S6’s stepped forward mechanical transferring device comes pre-tuned from the manufacturing facility and robotically adjusts in response to pace, bearing in mind smoother momentum. It additionally works in tandem with the motorbike’s 4 pedal-assist ranges. The front-wheel motor, co-developed with “a big Jap producer,” contributes to a extra herbal, intuitive using revel in. And the brand new suspension seatpost handles bumps within the street smartly. For a motorcycle that handiest weighs 51 kilos, it’s unusually strong. 

And, after all, the enduring spice up button provides that additional little bit of oomph, making riders really feel like they’ve simply ridden over a mushroom in Mario Kart. 

“After we took over VanMoof, we inherited nice design, and an outstanding product ecosystem,” Wertheimer stated. “We spent two years rebuilding our corporate and emblem to achieve this release…we’re in a position to turn the sector what we will be able to do once more. That’s what we see within the S6, our e-bike that may ship on 11 years of guarantees.”