VanMoof - In administration

[fossyant]

Just seen this else where.

Massive seller in Holland, they have their e-bikes everywhere !

https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/18/23798584/vanmoof-e-bikes-is-bankrupt

https://www.reuters.com/business/au...tch-e-bike-maker-vanmoof-bankrupt-2023-07-18/

 

[fossyant]

Saw their city bikes all over in Amsterdam - very smart machines, but seems they were costly to look after under warranty !

 

[ianrauk]

Very popular bikes in London

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Slightly unrelated but things like this where they are reliant on a company's servers always gives me cause for concern, our solar inverter can only be accessed by the companies website, if they go out of business & shut down the server we lose functionality. But why would a bicycle need to be connected to the manufacturers server?

 

[DCLane]

Not surprised given they paused sales recently.

I'm guessing they'll be bought by a larger brand.

 

[fossyant]

One in 10 bikes went back under warranty.

Apparently much of the bike isn't user serviceable and uses proprietary parts. I doubt that's the case for everything on them. The biggest issue is the bikes operate via a smart phone app to unlock them, so without servers, users will need to download a code.

 

[fossyant]

But for current owners who have bikes that are working, not all is lost. We’ve reported on how Cowboy, one of VanMoof’s big rivals, has wasted no time in building an app to unlock VanMoof bikes — important because they can end up bricked in their basic state, since their working is tied closely to the use of the VanMoof app, and the VanMoof app will not continue to be supported.

 

[welsh dragon]

That's a shame. I always fancied a Van Moof. Nice clean lines

 

[Drago]

Blimey, not very good if they couldn't sustain a profit at the prices they were charging.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Slightly unrelated but things like this where they are reliant on a company's servers always gives me cause for concern, our solar inverter can only be accessed by the companies website, if they go out of business & shut down the server we lose functionality. But why would a bicycle need to be connected to the manufacturers server?

Its entirely related and a big risk of having a "bike as a service", I remember looking at these a few years back and quite liking them but they were very expensive. Theres an article here about the risks of owning a VanMoof if they go under.

 

[fossyant]

Its entirely related and a big risk of having a "bike as a service", I remember looking at these a few years back and quite liking them but they were very expensive. Theres an article here about the risks of owning a VanMoof if they go under.

The cycling Tesla !

 

[Cycleops]

I'm sure hipsters everywhere will be in bits.

 

[fossyant]

I'm sure hipsters everywhere will be in bits.

Only in the UK - tonnes of these in Amsterdam used as 'daily riders'. I did wonder why one was parked outside a flat with the charger poking through the letterbox and no visible security - it needs an app to use. They are quite smart in appearance, but I'm sure they were heavier than a bull elephant.

 

[presta]

Theres an article here about the risks of owning a VanMoof if they go under.

And about technology that requires manufacturers' servers in general. I didn't recognise the name but I recognise the bike, and I recall thinking at the time I read about it that it's barking mad. I wouldn't buy an 'ordinary' e-Bike because they have too many proprietory parts, let alone one with connections to the internet & smart phones. (The problem being that once enough sheep buy this sort of stuff the rest of us get no choice any more, like trying to find a shop that stocks road bikes in a world where everyone buys mountain bikes to ride on the road.)

There seems to be a general move in all sectors to break customers' independence, and keep them tied to the product and dependent on the manufacturer. BMWs that cost £8000 a year subscription to keep the acessories working, Microsoft Office that's subscription based, printer ink that costs £30 a go is tantamount to a subscription too, and for ages now most technology has had custom batteries that cost megabucks instead of industry standards.

 

[ianrauk]

I'm sure hipsters everywhere will be in bits.

Not in London. They are mainly used by normal cycling commuters.