The sophisticated bicycle has attracted fans in Europe and the U.S., but repairs under warranty have bled the company of money.

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    1 year ago

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    But the brand, considered by many bicyclists the Tesla of e-bikes, has gone bankrupt; its cofounders are in talks with outside groups to revive the failed company.

    Rueterkemp bought his VanMoof nine months ago for around $4,000, and he’s ridden it nearly every day since, frequently pressing the bike’s “boost” button to pass fellow commuters on his way to his startup in downtown Amsterdam.

    Hartogs says VanMoof’s creators fancied their company to be like Apple — creating unique products that would spawn its own ecosystem — but Hartogs says the company ran out of money because, unlike Apple’s products, VanMoof’s specialized bikes often broke down, and their maintenance shops and generous warranty policies couldn’t keep up.

    With VanMoof no longer paying him to fix bikes under warranty, Tamor Hartogs is now left negotiating complicated repairs with individual customers.

    He’s also been reduced to taking out the company’s patented cylindrical batteries from VanMoof bike frames by carefully breaking them apart and installing new internal components.

    When asked for comment, VanMoof’s global head of communications replied by email: “I’m afraid I can’t make anyone available at the moment — seeing that we’re all fired except for the founders.”

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