Micromobility’s offer was refused by VanMoof, the bankrupt electric bike brand, which would however be on a different track…
If you haven’t been following the Vanmoof saga in recent weeks, brace yourself. This manufacturer of electric bikes has built a solid reputation, thanks to models with a trendy and refined design, or even a whole connectivity part. Except that the manufacturer slowly sank, affected by reliability and then financial concerns: its fall was brutal in 2023 to end in bankruptcy in mid-July.
This did not mean the end of the Dutch brand, which is looking, via its appointed directors, for buyers to resume its activities. The American Micromobility Inc. – not the Micro Mobility which markets the Microlino – had submitted an offer last week, and was impatiently awaiting a response.
Another buyer for VanMoof?
Except that its CEO, who posted regularly on X – formerly Twitter – finally delivered the verdict. “With regret, our bid for VanMoof, which primarily prioritized preserving jobs and protecting customers, was not accepted by the administrators”published Salvatore Palella.
However, the leader adds a new fact, revealing “that they preferred to negotiate with another actor”before adding that “my feeling tells me that finance has taken precedence over user protection”.
Regrettably, our bid for #VanMoof, which deeply prioritized consumer protection & job preservation, was not accepted by the trustees. They’ve opted to negotiate with another party. My gut tells me financial figures are taking precedence over consumer protection. Best wishes to the… https://t.co/lYO1shMIHD
—Salvatore Palella (@palella) August 8, 2023
Indeed, the law obliges to accept the highest bid in the Netherlands, but we do not know who raised the stakes. In any case, it will not be Giant according to the media Bright: the major Taiwanese manufacturer has refuted rumors that it was interested in the brand. Other rumors mention several groups, such as Accell Group (Winora, Lapierre, Raleigh, Babooe, Haibike, etc) and Trek.
VanMoof users still in the dark
Salvatore Palella still wishes good luck to the VanMoof community, which is still in the dark. For owners of connected e-bikes, not sure whether the application and availability of parts are assured in the future. While some are already reselling their grind, others can rely on Cowboy’s Bikey app, or Upway’s VanMoof Revive offer.
As for the unlucky customers having their bikes repaired in a VanMoof workshop, some confirmed to us that they still did not have access to their bike. However, a glimmer of hope arises from an email recently sent by the French branch of the brand.
“Know that our top priority is for you to recover your assets. We are working with local legal authorities to make this happen as soon as possible.” ensures VanMoof France, whose company VanMoof SAR was liquidated a few days ago.
And the same email adds that “Dutch administrators consider restarting VanMoof’s business activities”. Confirmation that the negotiations are already very advanced? The near future will tell.
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