Coincidentally, this past week, VanMoof, the X3 discussed in the article, closed all stores and are on the edge of bankruptcy, with a lot of media attention in the Netherlands.
Beautiful smart bikes, but the quality of components is horrible.
Beautiful smart bikes, but the quality of components is horrible.
The lesson for the sector is clear - make the economics work because funding rounds need to be based in reality, at least for now.
(1) https://electrek.co/2021/09/01/most-funded-e-bike-company-in...
Anyway digression aside, you might be happiest starting with a bike you like and doing your own conversion - either with a hub motor or a mid drive. Or have a look at REI - their ebike selection mostly look like bikes, with the advantage that they’ll also service them. That’s helpful if the manufacturer kicks it.
They offer the same theft-protection/tracking/insurance thing Vanmoof had, but use off-the-shelf bike components. The only thing they lack is the "unlock through Bluetooth"-functionality Vanmoof had.