VanMoof V

VanMoof is a global bicycle manufacturer headquartered in the Netherlands. The company started in 2009 with a line of traditional bikes, later moving solely to the production of e-bikes. The bikes are known for their sleek, minimalist design. VanMoofs are assembled in Taiwan, a world leader in bike production. The bikes are sold in 32 countries and the company has flagship stores in cities such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, London, Tokyo and New York. On 17 July 2023, the Dutch entities of VanMoof were declared bankrupt by the Court of Amsterdam. In August 2023 the entities in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States filed for bankruptcy as well.

History

VanMoof was founded in May 2009 by brothers Taco and Ties Carlier. Its name is a Dutch spin on the word "move". Taco Carlier studied industrial design engineering at the Delft University of Technology. His brother Ties was trained as an auto mechanic. The Carliers' vision was to reinvent the city bike, an idea they came up with after being ticketed multiple times by the Amsterdam police for not having proper lighting on their own bikes. They wanted to make "a smart bike with sex appeal" to "offer a strong alternative to status symbols like cars".
Their first models were designed by Dutchman Sjoerd Smit who had been hired by the Carlier brothers in 2008. His first prototype was a men's city bike with an aluminum frame, a LED light and a lock built into the frame. His design for the "Düsenjäger" model won the German Red Dot Design Award in 2011 because of its "simplistic, wireless and functional appearance". Around 10,000 bikes were sold world-wide in 2012. A year later, ''The Wall Street Journal'' wrote that "a VanMoof has become a hipster accessory" in New York City.

In 2014, VanMoof launched its first e-bike with a GPS tracker, an automatic 2-speed transmission, a remote and a battery inside the bike frame: the VanMoof 10 Electrified. Later models include the Electrified S (2016), the S2/X2 (2018), the S3/X3 (2020) and the S5/A5 (2022). In May 2023, the company launched their newest models: S4/X4 with less technology than their S5/A5 flagship models, scheduled to ship in August.

Starting with the S2 all e-bike models are equipped with anti-theft technology that locks the wheel and sounds an alarm if someone tries to move it, and the bikes are equipped with a SIM card that can be activated to retrieve its location. The company also employs what it calls 'bike hunters' who try to find stolen bicycles.

Sales rose from $12 million in 2018 to nearly $48 million in 2019.

VanMoof was awarded the Red Dot Design Award for a second time in 2020 for their S3/X3 model. According to the jury, "this e-bike impresses with a purist design that epitomises the essence of a bicycle." This model was designed by Job Stehmann and Ties Carlier. Some customers however criticized the model for its damage during shipping, late delivery, mechanical issues, technical glitches and lack of customer service.

VanMoof raised more than $100 million from venture capitalists including Felix Capital, Balderton Capital, Hillhouse Capital, Norwest Venture Partners and TriplePoint Capital to build and sell their e-bikes and expand their market share. In 2020 alone they raised $40 million.

The S5 and A5 models were designed by Job Stehmann, Marjolein Deun and Alexandre Phaneuf who in 2022 won VanMoof's third Red Dot Design Award for their "strikingly simple and compact" e-bikes that "meet the latest demands in urban mobility and convey a dynamic appearance".

On 3 May 2022, the Carliers handed over operational leadership to Gillian Tans who until 2021 was the CEO and later chairperson of Dutch online travel agency Booking.com. She left VanMoof a year later.

2023 bankruptcy

In the summer of 2023, several websites started reporting that VanMoof was in financial turmoil and had stopped its online sales on 29 June. On 12 July 2023, a court in the Netherlands granted the company creditor protection and appointed administrators to VanMoof to assess the state of the company, search for new investors or find a buyer. The company closed their physical retail stores for the time being.

The Dutch entities VanMoof Global Holding B.V., VanMoof B.V. and VanMoof Global Support B.V. were declared bankrupt by the Court of Amsterdam on 17 July 2023. According to an email written by the administrators (now the trustees), bankruptcy makes it "more likely that a restart of the VanMoof business can be accomplished." On 3 August 2023, VanMoof entered liquidation in the UK, the same happened in Germany on August 15. On August 19, 2023, VanMoof filed petition under Chapter 15 bankruptcy in New York City. The entities in France, Japan, and Taiwan were not placed into bankruptcy.

Models

Bicycles

E-bikes

Controversies

In 2019, VanMoof released a hidden camera video in which it seems members of the public were buying bikes from a thief. The company later admitted it hired actors to sell the bikes.

In 2020, a television ad for the S3 model was banned in France by advertising regulatory authority ARPP because the commercial "discredit the automobile sector ..while creating a climate of anxiety."

In 2021, concerns were raised by customers regarding the durability of VanMoof e-bikes. Some users reported issues such as frame damage, electrical malfunctions, and difficulties in obtaining timely repairs or replacement parts.

References

External links

VanMoof bicycle company website

{{Bicycle manufacturers of the Netherlands

Cycle manufacturers of the Netherlands
Dutch brands
Dutch companies established in 2007
Companies that have entered administration in the United Kingdom
Companies that have filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy