VanMoof on the verge of extinction: everything you need to know now
from David Wurm 
on July 16, 2023, 21:46 | 2 comments
VanMoof, the innovative bike company, is making headlines these days - and not in a good way. No new orders have been accepted since the beginning of the month and customer support is hardly available. A break in the middle of the bike season? This is strange and raises questions.
In a nutshell: The future of once so revolutionary bicycle company VanMoof is on the brink. The midsummer break in the cycling season, the search for fresh money and the departure of important people indicate a threatening situation. VanMoof tries to keep up appearances, but the uncertainty remains. Whether the reasons for the failure will come to light in the coming days remains to be seen. However, a great future for VanMoof seems unlikely, even with funding available in the near term.
- VanMoof, the once innovative bike company, is on the brink of collapse.
- Moneyproproblems and the departure of key employees threaten the future of VanMoof.
- For owners of VanMoof e-bikes, there is the option to secure the Bluetooth key to continue using the bike without the VanMoof app.
- Nevertheless, questions regarding repairs and warranty services in the event of a possible insolvency of the company remain unanswered.
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Moneyproproblems threaten the future
As sources at "TechCrunchreport, VanMoof is looking for fresh cash to keep the company afloat. Although bankruptcy was averted at the beginning of the year, the situation remains unclear. Investors understandably have little interest in endlessly supporting the business financially. The end seems inevitable.
The signs are that VanMoof has failed. The company hasn't been able to get back into the black, and even if it manages to raise enough cash in the short term, the future looks bleak. The loss of the summer business further exacerbates the situation.
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Key people are leaving the sinking ship
The situation is further aggravated as the CEO and key employees have already left the company. There is no official statement from the bike company, and the brand is not making any statements to the media. A worrying signal that gives little hope for improvement.
VanMoof tries to maintain the outward appearance that everything is fine. Posts are even actively shared on Instagram. But the questions of concerned users are piling up. There are rumors about a possible update this week, but there is no certainty at this time.
Existing VanMoof bikes now e-waste?
Picture: TechnikNews
While the company may be going out of business, that doesn't mean the VanMoof e-bikes it's already selling will become useless immediately. You can still drive them without the VanMoof app, although some functionality will be lost. However, there are solutions to this Prostated problems.
In this way you can continue to secure app access to your VanMoof bike
Meanwhile, the question is what will happen to the existing VanMoof e-bikes if the company actually fails. For example, the app or the server could be taken offline. The good news is that the bikes can still be used without the VanMoof app. However, there are some limitations and features will be lost.
There are solutions for those who still want to connect their e-bike to their smartphone. The "Vanmoof Encryption Key Exporter" allows users to backup the Bluetooth key. There are different possibilities for this:
- Experienced users can install the tool via Docker by following the instructions on Github consequences.
- Alternatively, you can on the developer's website log in with the VanMoof credentials. Care should be taken here as this is an independent vendor and VanMoof does not guarantee direct support. If you have concerns about disclosing your login data, you should choose the manual installation method.
- After successful registration you will receive the encryption code for the bike. This should be kept safe in order to be able to access the e-bike functions via a third-party app in the event that the VanMoof services are discontinued.
The “Bikey” app is also available as an alternative for iOS users, while an Android version is being worked on. With this app, the key can be backed up and used when needed. However, the app currently only works with certain models, while support for other models is in the works. We'll link both downloads for you below - as soon as the Android version is available, you'll find it here directly with us.
In addition to the uncertainty regarding the app, the financial difficulties also pose other problems Proproblems. Because the company uses specialized components rather than standard parts, repairs and the receipt of replacement parts are subject to availability from the manufacturer. It is also unclear when and if users will get their e-bikes sent in for repairs back, especially in view of the impending insolvency.
Ordered my vanmoof S5 in April '22 and waited more or less patiently until it was actually delivered in February '23.
The joy great, design and function convinced. Had a small defect in the chain guard in March, the part was sent to me free of charge after several emails with photos and videos and a personal visit to the store and I carried out the repair myself (was my wish, I really trusted myself and didn't want to go without it for weeks be a bicycle).
Now the bad news that vanmoof is bankrupt. So I now have a bike that could possibly no longer be usable after the next defect, since, as mentioned in the article above, hardly any standard components are installed. Apart from my booked repair and maintenance option, which I have now probably paid for free, I hardly dare to ride the bike...
What to do, take out the battery, put the bike in the crate, mothball it and pass it on to my descendants, or drive until a defect slows me down?
Totally bitter. Ordered and paid for a bike in April and it hasn't been delivered yet and probably won't be. Money gone, but what is much worse, I was really looking forward to the bike. How can such an innovative company, which also has a clever customer loyalty concept with maintenance and repair services, go bankrupt. Secretly, I'm still hoping for delivery and for someone else to take over the company to keep VanMoof in the market.