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Testing VanMoof’s refreshed e-bikes, which are again available to buy

Will you ever trust the brand again?

New parent McLaren Applied says it thoroughly evaluated everything it acquired after the VanMoof bankruptcy in the summer of 2023, including the supply chain, operations, service centers, individual parts, firmware, and the app. Bankruptcy has freed the new VanMoof from legally having to honor any of those S3/X3 warranty claims, but it also created a few hundred thousand angry customers who’ll likely never trust the brand again, no matter who owns it. Honestly, I could do without the fancy automatic chain-driven three-speed shifter, superfluous multifunction buttons, programmable electronic bell, Halo Ring interface, Apple tracking, and perky sounds for startup, shutdown, and firmware updates.

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