VanMoof, one of the most recognizable electric bike brands in Europe, surprised the industry by pausing all orders for its e-bikes and accessories on the popular brand’s website.
The move comes just two months after VanMoof launched its newest generation of electric bikes described as “ingeniously simple.”
Visitors to VanMoof’s website will find a pop-up explaining that the company has paused orders to catch up with current demand:
We have temporarily paused sales to catch up on the production and delivery of existing orders. Rest assured – this has no effect on servicing.
It’s a strange move in the electric bicycle industry, which is well known for doing the opposite: continuing to take orders even when stock is low, sometimes resulting in monthslong back-orders.
The move has thus stoked rumors about what could have caused the sudden pause in VanMoof sales around the world.
Taken at the company’s word, VanMoof says it is simply catching up on production and deliveries, though there could be more to that story.
The company’s high-tech e-bikes have often used specialized, proprietary components. That strategy has proven to be a double-edged sword in the past. It has provided VanMoof an advantage in features but has also resulted in lengthy servicing times due to the complexity of running changes and repairs on custom components.
It’s unclear if such technology components could be delaying production. The fact that all bike models and all accessories are unavailable means that the issue likely isn’t related to a single vital component or even one e-bike model.
Unofficial VanMoof forums have seen a jump in discussion of delivery delays and potential financial issues at the company.
Just two years ago VanMoof was the most-funded electric bicycle company in the world before being surpassed by US company Rad Power Bikes.
Despite riding high on large investment waves in the past, VanMoof has since seen its own share of financial troubles but managed to wriggle out of danger late last year.
Some media have pointed to an unconfirmed VanMoof internal memo posted on Reddit that claims to assure VanMoof is not going bankrupt, though a repeated typo in the company’s name makes the memo’s authenticity highly questionable.
At this point, it’s hard to say what could have led to the drastic decision to pause sales, which comes at a time when many e-bike manufacturers are dealing with overstock issues. Could it simply be a delivery issue? Is the company treading water while looking for another eleventh-hour funding injection? Did Apple really take a liking to the Find My integration and decide to buy up VanMoof? Let’s hear your wild theory in the comments section below.
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