MICROMOBILITY
could from McLaren Applied - Flowfold technology, state of the art electronics, state of the art IOT connection. “We’re leveraging motorsports manufacturing methods and materials such as magnesium alloys. “[The Series 1] looks great and feels great.” Wertheimer and Nasar, both engineers,
started their careers in aerospace, both in deep tech research environments. Finding the work intellectually rewarding, but growing tired of the politics and complex funding systems, the pair decided to move into an area with more immediate impact - namely, mobility. The switch resulted in
Wertheimer and Nassar founding FuroSystems, a manufacturer of
high-performance, lightweight electric vehicles, established in 2019. During that time, Wertheimer and Nassar were approached by McLaren Applied, a tech company that was formed to support the McLaren motorsports projects, but which has since been sold off to private investment company Greybull Capital. McLaren Applied was already working on its own advanced
e-scooter project, but needed a team to help bring it to market, and so Wertheimer and Nassar were recruited. The resulting product is the Lavoie Series 1 - a premium
e-scooter, that folds down using ‘Flowfold’ technology to make it compact, a more ergonomic and stable cockpit, and a peak power output of 900w, with a top speed up to 25mph. Retailing for between £1,890 for the base model, or £2,190 for the Max version (with greater battery range), the Series 1 offers between 15 miles up to 45 miles of travel on a single charge.
The acquisition of VanMoof, will mark a return to the e-bike
sector for Wertheimer and Nassar, as Lavoie has acquired the embattled Dutch e-bike manufacturer. Earlier this year VanMoof was declared bankrupt after rumblings of deep issues within the company, including a pause on sales.
A number of major brands showed initial interest in buying out the remains of VanMoof, but all quickly fell through, and hopes of a saviour grew dim. But in late August, Lavoie announced it had acquired the company, and outlined some of its plans. Under the terms of the agreement, the acquisition will
see Lavoie and McLaren Applied inject stability into the Dutch e-bike brand’s operations, then combining and integrating their capabilities to create “a next-generation e-mobility business and establish a world-leading premium e-mobility offering.” According to Reuters, Lavoie will retain some VanMoof staff in managerial roles but there will be some redundancies. One of the biggest changes expected is the abandonment of its in-house retail store model, instead opting for third-party retailers to sell and service products. Wertheimer said: “With its next generation of e-bikes,
smart technology, innovative design, and loyal customer base, VanMoof and Lavoie fit together perfectly. “VanMoof has 190,000 customers globally and our commitment is to continue to keep those riders on the road whilst we stabilise and efficiently grow the VanMoof business and continue to develop its world-class products.” With pre-orders currently open on the Series 1, the US and Europe like to be key markets for the product, and now the VanMoof acquisition, Lavoie appears well-placed to be a leader in the ever-growing micromobility market.
www.bikebiz.com October 2023 | 37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
