“Re-engineered” versions of the VanMoof S5 and A5 have today gone on sale in eight UK stores. The two bikes were first launched in April 2022, but a year later the Dutch brand was declared bankrupt. The company was subsequently sold to the McLaren Applied-backed e-mobility company, Lavoie, which is now bringing the two models back to the UK, while conspicuously talking up expansion of the brand’s “partner network”.
The original incarnation of VanMoof was brought down by a combination of supply chain issues and quality control issues which were compounded by its widespread use of proprietary tech.
The firm also sold ‘Peace of Mind’ services that included a theft package where a replacement bike was guaranteed in the event the stolen one could not be recovered inside two weeks.
In 2021, Dutch financial newspaper FD calculated that the cost of selling a VanMoof bike set the brand back more than the bike's retail price.
When McLaren Applied acquired VanMoof, it said its plan was to abandon its in-house retail store model in favour of using third-party retailers to sell and service its e-bikes.
The UK arm of this sales network now comprises eight locations, with 20 partners offering servicing. You can find the various locations on this map.
A spokesperson added: “This network will be expanded significantly across the coming months.”
Speaking last year, the new owners also said a lot of emphasis would be put on reliability. “We’ll rebuild the supply chain and redesign and improve parts to make current models more robust and easier to fix,” they said. “Our new products will be best in class and built to last.”
Earlier this year, VanMoof offered an £850 discount off an S5, A5, or future product to riders who ordered a bike but didn’t receive it when the company went bankrupt.
Commenting on the brand’s return to the UK, co-CEO Eliott Wertheimer, said: “After over a year of hard work to bring the best VanMoof has to offer back to its riders, we are very happy to launch our re-engineered S5 and A5 in the UK via our expanding partner network.
“As a long time Londoner, it has been incredibly exciting to see the progress the country is making in creating the infrastructure that will support the rapid expansion of the e-bike market.
“Riding e-bikes is one of the most freeing and convenient experiences in cities, and our products are some of the greatest tools to maximise this experience and revolutionise what the industry is able to offer to its riders.”
The VanMoof S5 and A5 – which have been on sale in the Netherlands, Germany and France since April – appear broadly the same bikes as two years ago.
Originally billed as the brand’s “easiest, most hassle-free” e-bike, the S5 is a diamond-framed hub motor e-bike with automatic three-speed gearing. The A5 is its step-through sibling.
The former has a 487Wh battery, the latter 463Wh. Both bikes come with integrated security tech and the brand’s Boost Button which gives you immediate access to maximum motor assistance to get you over small lumps and bumps.
They’re available for £2,998 and currently only from the dealers mentioned above. Direct sales from the VanMoof website are however due to follow at some point, a spokesperson told us.
