New VanMoof e-bikes come with a host of smart features

VanMoof says that the range of its latest e-bikes is up to 150km in economy mode and 60km at maximum assist level. You can quick charge to 50% in 80 minutes, adding an extra 75km range. A full charge from empty takes four hours.

According to Ties Carlier, VanMoof Co-founder: "With the new Electrified, we’ve created a bike that replaces the car for city commuting. We see Tesla and BMW as competition, not other bike companies. To compete at that level, we had to make everything better, faster, simpler, and more convenient."

The Electrified S2 has a conventional frame design, while the X2 has a unisex frame with a lowered top tube designed to fit riders between 155cm and 200cm in height.

VanMoof has focussed on e-bike security, with a keyless lock system that stops the wheels from turning when you leave the bike. It uses secure Bluetooth technology to automatically unlock when you return to your bike. There is also a three phase alarm system, a back wheel blocking system and anti-theft tracking built into VanMoof’s bikes. VanMoof quotes a bike weight of 19kg.

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We’ve previously covered its bike hunters who will track down a stolen bike and the story of how it found a warehouse full of stolen bikes in Morocco when searching for a missing machine. It's also the brand which printed an image of a TV on its boxes to cut down in-transit damage.

Other features of the new e-bikes include a turbo boost button, allowing US riders to accelerate rapidly up to 32kph – European riders are speed limited to the legal assistance limit of 25kph.

The e-bike is powered by a front hub motor. There’s an in-built matrix display of speed, battery level and power assist level. VanMoof also has a companion app that remembers where you’ve left your bike, controls the in-built lights and manages power and anti-theft system settings.

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Van Moof has registered over 6000 pre-production orders for the Electrified S2 and X2 e-bikes on its site. It says that deliveries began last week and are scheduled to continue into early 2019, to meet its pre-orders.

You can reserve a VanMoof Electrified S2 or X2 for £100 and, if you fulfil the conditions, VanMoof is currently offering a discount of £800 on the bikes’ list price of £3198.