VanMoof Electrified S (2017)

A Test Ride with the updated Electric Superbike

By Sjoerd Reitsma

July 12^th, 2017

In 2016 Dutch bike brand VanMoof launched a completely overhauled version of their Electric bicycle. Now in 2017 they're back with an updated model, the new Electrified S.

Intro

If you are not familiar with the 2016 Electrified S, you're in for a treat. This is what an electric SmartBike should be, packed with features in a gorgeous design.

VanMoof is well known for integrating everything into the tubes of the bike. On the Electrified S they managed to integrate the cables, the battery, the touchscreen display, the lock, the GPS and the simcard into the frame.

“VanMoof is well known for integrating everything into the tubes of the bike”

The motor is located in the front-wheel and the two-speed automatic gearbox in the rear-wheel.

The touchscreen can be used to unlock the bike, change the motor-feedback and see the kilometer speed and battery level.

The whole bike can be managed from an accompanied app on your smartphone, where you can see where you last parked your bike or use it to turn on the built-in Philips lighting. You can even report the bike stolen when it is taken by thieves. The app then shows the GPS coordinates of your precious electric stallion.

“You can even report the bike stolen when it is taken by thieves. The app then shows the GPS coordinates of your precious electric stallion.”

There is one more thing... The handlebar has a boost button that let's you go from 0-20 km/h within seconds. Very handy if you like a good green light challenge, or go up a steep hill. The bike is limited out of the box to 27 km/h in the EU, but you can easily change this in the app to a 32 km/h US setting.

“The handlebar has a boost button that let’s you go from 0-20 km/h within seconds”

What’s new in the 2017 model?

So let's talk about the updated Electrified S, which I took on a test-drive for a day. What has changed? Well at first glance not a lot, but there are some good refinements. The design of the bike is exactly the same as last years model. The grey colour has been fine-tuned a little, it now has a more 'rose' tint. I like it a lot actually. The bike also comes in black which is still the same black as before :-)

The motor has had a significant upgrade. While you won't notice this right away, you will definitely experience the positives on the long haul. The new motor has become more energy-efficient, which gives it a better range on higher feedback modes. It also produces less sound to give you a smoother ride.

Boooooost

The best feature of the new Electrified S is obviously the updated boost mode. The boost button works the same as on the 2016 model, only now you can use it to boost your way past 20km/h.

While that may not sound super exciting at first since the motor will also assist you past 20km/h, this does change the driving experience significantly. On areas where the boost would stop at 20km/h (while going uphill or overtaking someone), you can now keep going to the topspeed of 32 km/h.

It also takes you from 0 to 32km/h within a few seconds by just pedaling and holding the boost button.

G-Sensor and OTA updates

VanMoof also updated some other aspects of the bike. The new Electrified S now has a so called G-sensor which registers when someone tampers with your bike. In the future users will additionally receive a notification in the smartphone app when this happens. The new model also has support for over-the-air (OTA) updates. With this feature VanMoof can send new firmware to your bike without the need to bring it in at a VanMoof shop.

To buy or not to buy

The new Electrified is an even better bike than the 2016 model. So if you have the money for it, you will definitely not regret it. If you already own the 2016 model (like I do), then it's a bit more complicated.

“The new Electrified is an even better bike than the 2016 model. So if you have the money for it, you will definitely not regret it”

You can compare it with a new 'S' model iPhone. The S model is the better model, so if you always want the best, this is it. If you are already pleased with your current model and don't want to spend the money for the extra features, then that's also understandable. The design is still the same so you won't have to upgrade for the looks.

VanMoof will off course keep updating the iPhone-app which will also be updated for the 2016 model users. Will that mean that some features of the 2017 Electrified S will also come to the 2016 model, like the updated boost or the OTA updates?

Unfortunately not. VanMoof confirmed to me that the updated boost will stay exclusive to the 2017 model because this needs the new motor and electronics. This is also the case for the OTA update feature. The components in the 2016 model are supposedly capable, but make OTA updates not reliable enough without the new hardware which is in the 2017 model.