British startup Boost, which makes conversion kits for electric bicycles, will soon release a special version of its system, intended to keep VanMoof’s e-bikes ‘on the road in the future’.
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After the bankruptcy of VanMoof, customers fear that at some point they will no longer be able to use their e-bike. Competitor Cowboy already came up with the Bikey app, which allows you to store the digital key of a VanMoof bicycle, so that you can unlock it with your phone, even if the Amsterdam company’s servers are down. You can also unlock a VanMoof with a pin code, which you enter via the start and call button, but you never know. If the electronics of the e-bike break and repairs are no longer possible, there is a risk that the electric motor will no longer start or the rear wheel will remain locked.
British entrepreneur Nick Bailey, founder and chief engineer of Boost, thinks his solution might help. Boost is working on a custom replacement for the ‘main circuit board’ of VanMoof bicycles and a replacement motor drive. Baily says his company has already invested in the necessary technology when developing its current e-bike conversion kits. “As a result, we can now quickly adapt our system to other manufacturers’ bikes. The only way to keep VanMoof bikes always on the road is to replace the main circuit board,” says Bailey.
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New drive system for VanMoof S3
Boost will first come with a new drive system for the VanMoof S3, which should be ready at the end of September. The system replaces the motor drive electronics and interfaces with the VanMoof wheel lock and e-shifter. “Because the Boost system is wirelessly upgradeable, new features will be added at customer request,” said Bailey. He has not yet disclosed more details.
The current version of the Boost kit has a 250W rear hub motor, with pedal assistance up to 25km/h and a 216Wh battery in the form of a water bottle. You screw that ‘bottle battery’ onto the tube of your bicycle. The current Boost kit has a magnetic motion sensor in the motor assembly and the electronics are accessible through a small opening at the bottom of the bottle battery.
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Boost’s current conversion kit adds about 4 kg of weight to a bike and costs more than 600 euros. However, the specs and price of the new VanMoof version of Boost have not yet been announced. The British startup will keep VanMoof cyclists informed in the coming weeks.
Calls to Musk to restart VanMoof
Meanwhile, VanMoof customers are trying to get the attention of Tesla boss Elon Musk via Twitter, hoping that the billionaire will put money into a VanMoof restart. The two curators of the Amsterdam bicycle brand will be looking for parties who want to take over the bankrupt company in the coming weeks. Musk previously did not rule out that Tesla will come up with an e-bike.
Also listen to our podcast about the bankruptcy of VanMoof:
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2023-07-20 19:05:07
#Startup #conversion #kit #VanMoof #ebike #running
