In September 2023, VanMoof was acquired by Lavoie, a UK-based provider of electrical pedal controllers linked to McLaren Utilized. On the time of the acquisition, VanMoof was bancrupt. The model is now below McLaren Utilized’s management and is introducing the S6 collection, its first new mannequin in three years. The S6 will initially launch within the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Belgium, with a UK launch anticipated later within the yr. The corporate asserts that this new bike is “extra highly effective, safer, and smarter than something that has gone earlier than.”
VanMoof has stayed true to its design philosophy with the S6 however included some notable adjustments. The body has been additional refined, decreasing its general look. The S6 Open mannequin, designed for smaller riders, displays comparable aesthetic enhancements. The collection options three new putting colours: Electrical Blue, Drift Black, and Pearl Mint.
On the technical facet, the S6 retains the acquainted entrance wheel hub motor delivering 68 Nm of torque, paired with a 487 Wh battery. It’s reported to have a variety of 60 to 150 kilometers. Nonetheless, the producer highlights that the brand new increase button now operates sooner and extra easily. The Gen 6 Kick Lock has undergone enhancements, making it extra strong and waterproof, and it may be activated with a foot faucet. The anti-theft system has additionally seen enhancements, promising extra exact location monitoring and integration with Apple Discover My, although certification remains to be pending.
In keeping with VanMoof, the Management Core, which centralizes all capabilities, has been solely revised and is now “probably the most highly effective system that has ever powered a VanMoof.” Choices like a suspension seat submit for added consolation on uneven terrain and a Trip Plus app subscription are additionally out there.
Eliott Wertheimer, Co-CEO of VanMoof, acknowledged, “We requested ourselves: how do you enhance probably the most superior, related, and feature-rich e-bike available on the market? The reply is to take all the things that makes VanMoof what it’s – and make it higher. We’ve analysed suggestions from hundreds of riders and refined each function. From security and reliability to connectivity – however above all, we now have optimised the driving expertise itself. The S6 bikes journey smoother, extra responsive, and extra intuitive than something we’ve accomplished earlier than. Mixed with higher maintainability and serviceability, this makes the S6 collection our final bike.”
The S6 and S6 Open are actually out there for €3,298, with a reservation choice for €150. Deliveries are anticipated to start in August. In the meantime, the earlier fashions, S5 and A5, can nonetheless be bought at a lowered value of €2,998.
Throughout Lavoie and McLaren Utilized’s acquisition of VanMoof, they expressed their dedication to additional creating and increasing the e-bike enterprise. Whereas the precise buy value was not disclosed, Nick Fry, head of McLaren Utilized, indicated that “tens of thousands and thousands” of kilos in funding can be wanted within the brief time period to stabilize VanMoof. Fry emphasised the corporate’s sturdy product, whereas acknowledging the monetary challenges it confronted.
VanMoof initially began as a small producer of high-quality e-bikes however shifted its focus to excessive volumes over time. Whereas sustaining its guarantee guarantees, this shift resulted in a decline in manufacturing high quality, resulting in vital guarantee prices and in the end insolvency in July 2023.
McLaren Utilized serves because the expertise division inside the McLaren Group, established in 1985 alongside its Method 1 group. McLaren Utilized (beforehand McLaren Utilized Applied sciences) was offered to a monetary investor in 2021.
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