Dutch e-bike startup VanMoof is back two years after bankruptcy with its first model designed under new leadership. And despite past criticism that VanMoof’s over-reliance on custom parts led to the company’s downfall, the S6 sticks to the brand’s signature bespoke design.
Today, VanMoof is betting that higher-quality custom parts, alongside a more robust servicing network, will allow it to stay true to its design-forward, tech-heavy core, while avoiding the repair and servicing pitfalls that came out of scaling a specialized product too quickly.
“I don’t think there’s a reason for VanMoof to exist if we’re going to use off-the-shelf parts like everyone else,” co-CEO Elliot Wertheimer told TechCrunch backstage at Micromobility Europe in Brussels this week. “We’re here to push design, to have a bike that, if you’ve never ridden an e-bike in your life, you get on it and it’s intuitive. Easy, like an iPhone.”
VanMoof previously raised more than $200 million in venture capital and gained a cult following for its premium, minimalist-designed e-bikes equipped with integrated lights, batteries, and motors.
VanMoof’s unique selling point became its biggest liability. Like many venture-backed hardware businesses, the company grew too quickly to operate sustainably. When bikes broke down, customers were left stranded by an underdeveloped repair network and constrained supply — a consequence of the company’s decision to use custom parts instead of off-the-shelf components.
The startup filed for bankruptcy in July 2023. A month later it was scooped up by e-scooter maker Lavoie, a business division of McLaren Applied, which itself was formerly a part of McLaren Group that builds parts for the McLaren F1.
Wertheimer said with support from McLaren Applied’s Formula 1 expertise, VanMoof was able to redesign every component that had caused issues in past models, using performance data to create more reliable custom parts. Many of those parts are co-designed with large manufacturers, which not only assures quality, but also availability of parts should anything happen to VanMoof again, according to Wertheimer.
In certain areas of the business, VanMoof relented to a more industry-standard approach. The company’s batteries, for example, are now co-designed and manufactured by Panasonic; VanMoof only supplies the mechanical and software integration. Previously, VanMoof had led on battery design.
The real critical piece, though, is an improved support network, according to Wertheimer.
“We fixed the whole business, from unit economics, logistics, and after-sale service,” Wertheimer said. “We couldn’t go out with something new before we set up the infrastructure to do so.”
VanMoof has built up a network of 250 repair centers and 130 sales partners, and is focusing sales on markets like Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
“We have built a tech suite for [our repair partners] in terms of where they can buy components, a diagnostics app, a proper tracking system that tracks which parts went where, et cetera, to make warranty claims easier for them,” Wertheimer said, adding that VanMoof has set up an online training course for mechanic partners. “That’s super well set up and we’re growing the network fast. We’re adding 10 stores a week.”
VanMoof also hopes to launch in the U.S. by the end of 2025. However, Wertheimer said those plans have stalled as the company waits to see how President Trump’s tariffs policy shakes out.
The company has already started taking reservations for the S6 in its current active markets, and expects to deliver the first few thousand vehicles in the beginning of August.
The VanMoof S6: A new hope
Customers were already complaining about slow repair times before VanMoof’s brief shutdow in 2023. When it went bankrupt, some customers were stranded with broken bikes; others who had put down deposits for new bikes were out hundreds of dollars. Trust in the brand plummeted.
While some may never forgive VanMoof for its failures, the new S6 might might just help customers remember why they loved the brand in the first place.
I gave the S6 a quick spin this week in Brussels and was delighted to finally understand why so many riders had once gone gaga for VanMoof.
It’s a sexy-looking bike. The S6 has the iconic VanMoof frame, made even sleeker with no visible welding. It also comes in several matte colors, including an “electric blue” that looked more like lilac to me, and a pearl mint that Wertheimer says “changes in the light” from white to green.
“We spent a lot of time on the colors,” he said.
The tech features are also impressive. Wertheimer said the company redesigned the electronic suite with help from McLaren Applied to ensure longevity even after the bike has been through its paces in rain, cold, heat, and other conditions.
The S6 platform delivers other features that VanMoof fans will recognize, like the Halo Ring which replaces a traditional display and glows different colors to keep riders informed about battery life and speed. The Halo on the S6 is much brighter, addressing complaints from past models of it being too dim in direct sunlight.
New tech features include an integrated navigation that pairs the bike to an accompanying mobile app, providing turn-by-turn directions via the Halo lights and sounds. There’s also a new sound ecosystem, which includes a soft, but firm, cricket-like sound that a rider can use in place of a bell to alert other road users to their presence.
Anti-theft features have come standard on almost all VanMoof e-bike models, but Wertheimer says the S6 is even better.
“We have a new tracking system that’s much more accurate,” he said, noting the system relies on cellular tower triangulation, GPS signal, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to determine location of the vehicle within two meters.
Wertheimer also said VanMoof will soon introduce crash detection and other safety features.
As for the ride itself, the S6’s improved mechanical shifting system comes pre-tuned from the factory and automatically adjusts based on speed, allowing for smoother momentum. It also works in tandem with the bike’s four pedal-assist levels. The front-wheel motor, co-developed with “a major Japanese manufacturer,” contributes to a more natural, intuitive riding experience. And the new suspension seatpost handles bumps in the road well. For a bike that only weighs 51 pounds, it’s surprisingly sturdy.
And, of course, the iconic boost button adds that extra bit of oomph, making riders feel like they’ve just ridden over a mushroom in Mario Kart.
“When we took over VanMoof, we inherited great design, and an impressive product ecosystem,” Wertheimer said. “We spent two years rebuilding our company and brand to reach this launch…we are ready to show the world what we can do again. That’s what we see in the S6, our e-bike that can deliver on 11 years of promises.”