After the 5 comes the 4: The Dutch e-bike manufacturer VanMoof, which recently got into trouble, is surprisingly quick to present new models after the S5, the cheaper S4 and X4. The wheels, which are available now, cost 2198 euros, 1300 euros less than the S5 and A5, which remain in the range.
VanMoof offers the S4 and X4 in four different colors.
(Image: VanMoof)
The S4 and the smaller X4 are visually and technically very similar to the older VanMoof models S3 and X3, which the manufacturer no longer produces. The only way to tell the frames apart is by their paintwork – VanMoof offers the S4 and X4 in light and dark green as well as in purple and yellow. The S4 with a classic diamond frame stands on 27.5-inch wheels, the idiosyncratic X4 is designed as a manoeuvrable city runabout with 24-inch wheels. According to VanMoof, the S4 should be suitable for heights between 1.70 and 2.10 meters, the X4 for heights from 1.55 to 1.90 meters. Both bikes weigh over 20 kg (X4: 20.3 kg, S4: 21.6 kg).
Refreshed S3
The manufacturer apparently adopts parts of the inner workings from the S3, the front hub motor has the same key data. It delivers the maximum permissible rated continuous power in Germany of 250 watts and pushes in four support levels. If you press a boost button, it briefly releases its entire power of 59 Nm, making the engine as powerful as that of the third generation. The motor of the S5 and X5 is 68 Nm strong.
There is a 478 Wh battery in the frame of the wheels, which cannot be removed for charging. VanMoof promises ranges of between 60 and 150 kilometers – depending on the load and the level of support. In our test, the VanMoof S5 achieved a lower range than promised by the manufacturer. VanMoof puts the charging time at four and a half hours, and the battery should be 50 percent charged within one and a half hours. For 350 euros, VanMoof sells an additional battery that you can click into the frame triangle. It brings another 378 Wh capacity.
The agile X4 stands on 24-inch wheels.
(Image: VanMoof)
In the rear wheel is a two-speed automatic hub gear. The switching point is linked to the cadence. Unlike the top models, the S4 and X4 are not equipped with a torque sensor.
financial hardships
A kick with the tip of your foot on a button on the rear axle locks the wheel. A locking pin then locks the rear wheel hub. If someone tampers with the bike, it sounds an acoustic and visual alarm and informs about its location in the app. For a fee of 348 euros, VanMoof offers the service of locating a stolen bike using the built-in GPS module for three years.
The LED rings in the handlebars of the 5-series VanMoofs, which provide information about battery status and speed, among other things, have fallen victim to the red line. VanMoof has outsourced the information to the associated app. The various optional luggage racks for the 3rd generation also fit the new bikes and cost between 60 and 120 euros.
Recently, VanMoof not only drew attention to itself with new wheels, but also involuntarily made headlines. The end of 2022 could end the company only just be averted. The price of S5 and X5 the manufacturer successively increased by 1000 euros, currently it costs 3500 euros. At the start, however, it only cost 300 euros more than the S4 and X4 that have now been introduced.
(rbr)
