There has been uncertainty around the VanMoof bikes out in the wild ever since struggling e-bike startup VanMoof declared it had entered the Dutch version of administration.
The company’s connected smartphone app was mainly reliant on these bikes.
Not least among the significant settings and operations that the app managed was starting the bike (although there are two non-app options).
VanMoof users will be left with a subpar e-bike that hardly functions without its software “key” if VanMoof servers fall down while they are in operation.
Nevertheless, a rival e-bike brand from Belgium over the border, Cowboy, comes to their aid.
Riders of VanMoof can generate their individual digital key using the straightforward app “Bikey” and continue riding.
According to the business, it is currently live on the Apple App Store and will soon be accessible on Android.
A spokeswoman stated: “We must emphasize that this is a beta therefore bugs may be encountered. Our software team worked through the night on this… however because it will function while the VanMoof servers are operational, we wanted to ship this as soon as possible.
They advise VanMoof riders to take their key right away since if the servers go down, it won’t be possible to get it back and riders would essentially lose all access to their bikes.
Whether it’s a rival firm or not, they continued, “This is about keeping motorcycles on the road, which is our No. 1 purpose as a company.
Cowboy would undoubtedly suffer from the negative publicity that would result from one of its main competitors’ connected e-bikes degenerating into pricey chunks of metal, potentially setting a standard for the startup industry as a whole.
However, Cowboy may benefit from positive PR from the release of the app by appearing to assist VanMoof users.
However, the appearance of a competing company’s app raises some concerns for VanMoof, which is mostly no longer reacting normally during its administration time.
For instance, if VanMoof loses its customers to a competing app, would a buyer or new funder find it difficult to keep its user base?
To sum up, Bikey isn’t the only choice because the Moofer app also provides VanMoof owners with a different third-party software option to try and keep their bikes running. For the time being, at least.
