E-Bike News: Borealis relies on e-fat, bike power from Europe, Van Moof Woes and much more!
The Borealis Keystone is a high-end mid-drive e-fat bike
Based in Colorado Springs Borealis has specialized in lightweight fat bikes since 2013. Now comes their first ever electric fat bike, the Keystone.
The facilities are impressive; Shimano EP8 mid-drive, 630Wh battery, the latest 1×12 SRAM Eagle GX derailleur, a sturdy 6000 series aluminum frame with smooth welds and internal routing, Manitou Mastodon Pro front fork with 120mm travel and a KS Lev Integra -seat post.
Of course, such a spec doesn’t come cheap ($6,500) and you’ll have to wait until you drop if you pre-order one now – but it’s a model whose arrival is certainly eagerly awaited.
Bergamont announces major overhaul of its e-bike range and includes the lightweight TQ HPR-50 Mid-Drive
Premium German brand Bergamont recently announced its new e-bike range, placing greater emphasis on TQ’s new lightweight mid-engine. The E-Grandurance The e-gravel bike now uses TQ’s HPR-50, while the E-Viss Amsterdam still uses the same TQ Mid-Drive but gets a lower step frame.
UK’s Surge launches a high quality and affordable e-bike line
Surge is a British retailer who now also operates as a private label manufacturer and whose first e-bike offers a great mix of high-quality e-folder and good value for money. The fold-in-halve model features a Bosch Performance Line drive system, a replaceable 500 Wh battery, Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and – unusually for a folder – the belt-driven Enviolo continuously variable transmission in the rear wheel hub. There is also a sturdy luggage rack, large tires, mudguards and hard-wired lighting. All for £3,499.
Van Moof in his last breath to secure funding for the lifeline
Van Moof is a Dutch company that has often been in the media spotlight in recent years, be it because of its much-lauded concept Hyperbike or the more recent launches – they just launched the Relative in May of this year inexpensive S4 model.
Now comes the news like that The British e-bike tips tell usthe ‘after’Pause sales of new e-bikes Two weeks ago, VanMoof filed for bankruptcy protection.
What caused the problems? Big backer support obviously means you have to invest a lot of money, but it also means you need a return on investment in the form of some juicy profits, something Van Moof is clearly struggling with.
Although the brand had a very high level of awareness and seemingly good sales, in the words of ebiketips again, it appears: “According to an analysis of 2021 sales figures by a Dutch financial publication.” FDThe cost of repairing or replacing VanMoof e-bikes under the warranty was around 8 million euros. The publication ultimately concluded that at that point the cost of selling a bike was higher than the purchase price.
It is a great shame that Van Moof was an industry leader in leveraging its own technology to innovate and strive to create a product that truly stood out from the competition and brought its own advantages. No other e-bike combined a minimalist appearance with hidden high-tech like Van Moof (think automatic gear shifting and electronic locking and alarming).
There is still a theoretical chance that Van Moof can survive; Online sales are described as “paused” while private label stores are closed. Van Moof recorded a loss of €6 million in 2019 and a loss of almost €80 million in 2021, with no improvement expected for 2022 figures. The company has successfully applied for a “stay of payment” in an Amsterdam court and the administrators must take the company through a 60-day “cooling off” period. In many cases, this is a prelude to bankruptcy, but Van Moof buys time to see if he can locate a financial fairy godmother.
Rad Power Bikes is withdrawing from Europe
More unusual news from the normally vibrant European bicycle market; Bicycle dealer reports and industry news “Rad Power Bikes will close its European operations at the end of the year to focus on growing its North American market.”
In a letter Posting on Rad Power Bikes’ European website on Monday, CEO Phil Molyneux said an in-depth company review made it clear the move was necessary for long-term success.
The backstory couldn’t be more in contrast to Van Moof’s; Rad Power has been extremely successful in its expansion and appears to have remained profitable throughout, despite recent job losses and several lawsuits against the company. Raising hundreds of millions of dollars to fund developments such as an expansion into Europe has clearly been less successful. North American e-bike consumers could well be the ultimate beneficiaries of this latest development in Rad Power Bikes’ tumultuous history, as the company turns its attention back to its home country.
Is your e-bike “Garmin-Ready”?
More news from the bicycle trade and industrythis time with the more positive news that “Garmin is now making available to retailers “Garmin Ready” frame stickers informing consumers that the e-bike is ready for wireless communication with their Garmin devices such as Edge GPS bike computers and some Garmin Smartwatches is certified.” ‘
