RE: Trickles of Transcendence (Ep. 2)
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I’ve discovered that owning an e-bike is an adventure, just not exactly the kind of adventure that I might have imagined.
When I think about electronic vehicles, then my first concern about them is the lifespan of their batteries, and whether they can be replaced or not, and if yes, then for how much.
After a year of of thinking about it (more like trying to justify dropping $2k on a bike) I bought a VanMoof S3 in January of 2020.
$2000 USD for a bike? Damn. My annual/yearly pension-like income is approximately $3000 USD. Take the double of that $2000 USD, and you can buy literally a house in some parts in the countryside of my country (Hungary).
I had a relatively trouble-free summer of riding until things went south when the bike’s main battery blew a fuse in mid-August. Since the battery isn’t user serviceable the bike was effectively bricked and had to be repaired by VanMoof.
Damn again. For $2000 USD I would expect something much more durable.
After dozens of emails to VanMoof customer support and nearly a month-and-a-half of waiting, the team decided to give me a brand new 2021 S3 and two free accessories for my trouble.
That is the least they could do. At least the customer service is more or less helpful. This is good to hear. But the price of the bike is a big shame.
I agree, the bike should be much more durable and user serviceable. To VanMoof's credit, they are trying hard to satisfy their customers but I'm sure between the supply chain problems and the pandemic it feels like they're on a sinking ship.
Yes, the economies of Hungary and the US are worlds away it seems but the US economy is rather deceptive. The salaries are higher here but so is the cost of everything. That house that can be bought in your country for $4000 would probably be at least $250,000 here (probably more). People are paying $3,500 per month for a two bedroom apartment in our city. Studio apartments (basically one room with a bathroom) are around $1,500 per month. I saw a statistic the other day that shocked me...78% of Americans have no savings, nothing in the bank.
I wish you a great week and thanks for the comment!