Latest news with #customparts
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
VanMoof is back with a new custom e-bike and rebooted repair network
Dutch e-bike startup VanMoof is back two years after bankruptcy with its first model designed under new leadership. And despite past criticism that VanMoof's over-reliance on custom parts led to the company's downfall, the S6 sticks to the brand's signature bespoke design. Today, VanMoof is betting that higher-quality custom parts, alongside a more robust servicing network, will allow it to stay true to its design-forward, tech-heavy core, while avoiding the repair and servicing pitfalls that came out of scaling a specialized product too quickly. 'I don't think there's a reason for VanMoof to exist if we're going to use off-the-shelf parts like everyone else,' co-CEO Elliot Wertheimer told TechCrunch backstage at Micromobility Europe in Brussels this week. 'We're here to push design, to have a bike that, if you've never ridden an e-bike in your life, you get on it and it's intuitive. Easy, like an iPhone.' VanMoof previously raised more than $200 million in venture capital and gained a cult following for its premium, minimalist-designed e-bikes equipped with integrated lights, batteries, and motors. VanMoof's unique selling point became its biggest liability. Like many venture-backed hardware businesses, the company grew too quickly to operate sustainably. When bikes broke down, customers were left stranded by an underdeveloped repair network and constrained supply — a consequence of the company's decision to use custom parts instead of off-the-shelf components. The startup filed for bankruptcy in July 2023. A month later it was scooped up by e-scooter maker Lavoie, a business division of McLaren Applied, which itself was formerly a part of McLaren Group that builds parts for the McLaren F1. Wertheimer said with support from McLaren Applied's Formula 1 expertise, VanMoof was able to redesign every component that had caused issues in past models, using performance data to create more reliable custom parts. Many of those parts are co-designed with large manufacturers, which not only assures quality, but also availability of parts should anything happen to VanMoof again, according to Wertheimer. In certain areas of the business, VanMoof relented to a more industry-standard approach. The company's batteries, for example, are now co-designed and manufactured by Panasonic; VanMoof only supplies the mechanical and software integration. Previously, VanMoof had led on battery design. The real critical piece, though, is an improved support network, according to Wertheimer. 'We fixed the whole business, from unit economics, logistics, and after-sale service,' Wertheimer said. 'We couldn't go out with something new before we set up the infrastructure to do so.' VanMoof has built up a network of 250 repair centers and 130 sales partners, and is focusing sales on markets like Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. 'We have built a tech suite for [our repair partners] in terms of where they can buy components, a diagnostics app, a proper tracking system that tracks which parts went where, et cetera, to make warranty claims easier for them,' Wertheimer said, adding that VanMoof has set up an online training course for mechanic partners. 'That's super well set up and we're growing the network fast. We're adding 10 stores a week.' VanMoof also hopes to launch in the U.S. by the end of 2025. However, Wertheimer said those plans have stalled as the company waits to see how President Trump's tariffs policy shakes out. The company has already started taking reservations for the S6 in its current active markets, and expects to deliver the first few thousand vehicles in the beginning of August. Customers were already complaining about slow repair times before VanMoof's brief shutdown in 2023. When it went bankrupt, some customers were stranded with broken bikes; others who had put down deposits for new bikes were out hundreds of dollars. Trust in the brand plummeted. While some may never forgive VanMoof for its failures, the new S6 might might just help customers remember why they loved the brand in the first place. I gave the S6 a quick spin this week in Brussels and was delighted to finally understand why so many riders had once gone gaga for VanMoof. It's a sexy-looking bike. The S6 has the iconic VanMoof frame, made even sleeker with no visible welding. It also comes in several matte colors, including an 'electric blue' that looked more like lilac to me, and a pearl mint that Wertheimer says 'changes in the light' from white to green. 'We spent a lot of time on the colors,' he said. The tech features are also impressive. Wertheimer said the company redesigned the electronic suite with help from McLaren Applied to ensure longevity even after the bike has been through its paces in rain, cold, heat, and other conditions. The S6 platform delivers other features that VanMoof fans will recognize, like the Halo Ring which replaces a traditional display and glows different colors to keep riders informed about battery life and speed. The Halo on the S6 is much brighter, addressing complaints from past models of it being too dim in direct sunlight. New tech features include an integrated navigation that pairs the bike to an accompanying mobile app, providing turn-by-turn directions via the Halo lights and sounds. There's also a new sound ecosystem, which includes a soft, but firm, cricket-like sound that a rider can use in place of a bell to alert other road users to their presence. Anti-theft features have come standard on almost all VanMoof e-bike models, but Wertheimer says the S6 is even better. 'We have a new tracking system that's much more accurate,' he said, noting the system relies on cellular tower triangulation, GPS signal, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth to determine location of the vehicle within two meters. Wertheimer also said VanMoof will soon introduce crash detection and other safety features. As for the ride itself, the S6's improved mechanical shifting system comes pre-tuned from the factory and automatically adjusts based on speed, allowing for smoother momentum. It also works in tandem with the bike's four pedal-assist levels. The front-wheel motor, co-developed with 'a major Japanese manufacturer,' contributes to a more natural, intuitive riding experience. And the new suspension seatpost handles bumps in the road well. For a bike that only weighs 51 pounds, it's surprisingly sturdy. And, of course, the iconic boost button adds that extra bit of oomph, making riders feel like they've just ridden over a mushroom in Mario Kart. 'When we took over VanMoof, we inherited great design, and an impressive product ecosystem,' Wertheimer said. 'We spent two years rebuilding our company and brand to reach this launch…we are ready to show the world what we can do again. That's what we see in the S6, our e-bike that can deliver on 11 years of promises.'
The Drive
02-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
If You Need a Car Part That Doesn't Exist, Talk to This Guy
The latest car news, reviews, and features. 3D printing democratizes manufacturing in ways that have real, positive implications for car enthusiasts. Need a little trim piece that's been discontinued since the '80s? 3D printing lets you remake one and allows you to make it better with your own tweaks. And the opportunities for creativity are endless. A few months ago, I started a thread with Ben Bishop, who has a little operation making custom parts and recreating unobtainable items for people's car projects. He shared some interesting insight on his process and how 3D printing is empowering some cool cottage-industry innovation. As a lover of creative car customization and small industrial enterprises in general (surely I'm not the only one), I thought it'd be fun to share the process Bishop goes through to design and create custom 3D parts through his U.K.-based outfit, BWB Designs. Over email, he answered my questions about his work and explained what his process is like, whether he's reverse-engineering a rare or no-longer-available part or creating something from scratch. Bishop has built things from small and practical, like this Mini vent gauge pod, to the large and unique, like this nose cone for a homemade Ariel Atom replica. BWB Designs If somebody already has a part they want replicated, 'then they can either post the part directly to me for replication, or they can scan the part themselves and send me the scans,' Bishop told me. 'If they post the part to me it allows me to either scan or measure the part for direct CAD modeling. I can then advise the client on design suggestions which may help to optimize the 3D printing process. For example, by increasing thickness in certain areas, adding features which improve the printability or implementing hardware like heat-sert threads to help the functionality as best as possible. Once we work through and come to a finalized design, we test print and fit the part. This process was used for the CR-X door inserts as well as the CR-X License plate light holder as well as many other small parts. 'If they plan on scanning the part, I ask for a set of check dimensions to ensure accuracy with the scans as best [as] possible. Whilst also checking dimensions on my model throughout the design process. After that, we can follow the same steps as previously mentioned to achieve an end product. This process was used with the Chevy C10 Dash AC Bezel.' A Chevy truck cluster bezel to scan (bottom right), digitally rendered (left), then 3D printed in replica (top right). BWB Designs Bishop explained to me that he's able to help people in different ways depending on the equipment the customer has on their end. If you can scan and print things at home, he can fine-tune the render to ensure the scanned image becomes a high-quality printable file. If you only have a scanner, he can optimize a design and print it for you. If you don't have anything, you can mail the part you want copied, and BWB will do the rest. Of course, sometimes you don't have an example part to start from. Bishop told me about how he recreates factory parts without a physical template, too. Reference photos, any known specs, specs of surrounding and adjacent parts, anything adjacent that can be scanned … a bit more imagination and time is required. 'This was the process used to create the CR-X recessed headlight shrouds, my client posted the OEM headlight for me to take mounting points off and gather a set of general dimensions. I then researched the rare option, gathering photos and information to produce the final product. I can use the images to obtain scales and proportions for the model, as well as getting a good idea on angles of certain features. Combining that with the set of dimensions from the OEM headlight, implementing the mounting points and also fitment for a standard light type allowed me to produce an end product which the client was very satisfied with!' Finding these headlight shrouds for a first-gen CRX in perfect condition would be nearly impossible, and convincing a big aftermarket parts factory to re-make them for a single customer is unlikely. This is where small outfits like Bishop's can shine. BWB Designs When it comes to completely custom stuff, Bishop told me he works with that too. When there's no part to replicate, he told me that he can make things from scratch using broad dimensions and mounting points. He's done everything from gauge pods to intake pipes to whole aero kits. 'With the use of modern technology, we can create pretty much anything with a phone, tape measure, and some imagination,' Bishop explained. 'Using phones to scan isn't always the most accurate or high-quality process, but with some reworking and optimizations on my end in combination with check dimensions, we can get to a point where the scan is good enough to work off. The Audi 4M Q7 intake was made with a phone scan. As well as a couple [of] current projects, which are currently underway, using phone scans on a larger scale to build a front splitter as well as an entire body kit.' Bishop custom-made this Audi intake pipe in a larger-than-stock diameter and without its factory baffle restrictor. If you're interested in doing something like this for your own car, just remember, there's more to engine tuning than more air means more power. Any mod to a vehicle's intake system should be paired with a custom computer tune optimized on a dyno. BWB Designs My favorite innovation of Bishop's is this wild AW11 MR2 cooling vent system. As Bishop posted on his website [sic] : 'Using 3D Scans, we worked to fit in the ducts around the existing constraints of the engine bay. A goal was to maintain the OEM Sunroof storage, as well as various other obstacles to work around. 'The end product was printed in ASA-CF, then skinned with carbon fiber for an aesthetically pleasing and high-performance finish. The firewall through-mounts and hood vent were SLS Printed in PA-12 nylon for a strong and high-quality product.' This air piping even keeps the OEM sunroof storage functionality in place. BWB Designs So far, Bishop's business has just been directly working with individuals to make their small-batch parts production dreams come true. But some of his creations have ended up being replicated in slightly bigger batches. If you're the kind of person who would go through the trouble of getting a CR-X headlight shroud custom-made, you probably know other CR-X dorks who might also want such a piece. 'I encourage all of my clients to market the products I design for them, where applicable, even if they hadn't planned on doing so,' said Bishop. 'A lot of the time, being connected with their own communities allows them to sell at least a few of the parts to cover my costs of design. It works out as a win-win for everybody involved.' As for why he does what he does, besides being a car enthusiast and industrially creative, Bishop told me: 'Part of the satisfaction is knowing I am doing something to keep the car community alive, maintaining the machines we all know and love so we can carry on doing what we do. This whole process contributes to reducing how many cars we scrap and get rid of, reducing pollution and waste in our industry. We can even use recycled and recyclable materials to produce these new parts.' In the future, 3D scanning and printing of roadworthy components might be doable with equipment you can buy at Staples, with AI handling the rendering in between. But until then, outfits like Bishop's here are a huge boon for car culture. I can't tell you how long I've looked for stupid little trim pieces on my mildly obscure cars like my old Nissan 300ZX; I could have skipped a lot of fruitless searching with a service like this. So next time you're coming up empty trying to find a little plastic piece that's no longer available, see if somebody like Bishop can scan, redesign, and 3D print it for you! Know about any other cool car cottage industry operations? Drop us a line at tips@
