Van Moof’s new S4 and X4 e-bikes are simpler, colourful and cheaper

VanMoof has launched the S4 and X4, two new e-bikes with a familiar design, a simplified set of features, and a price that might finally tempt all the potential customers who never bought a VanMoof because of the brand’s previous approach to pricing. 

The S4 & X4 also come in four new colors Sunbeam Yellow, Purple Fog, Evergreen, and Foam Green. The new palette is a bold departure from VanMoof’s historical penchant for elegant, dark, or soft-pastel chromatic selection. According to VanMoof, the two bikes have been rebuilt from the ground up “to offer the very best of the brand’s technological innovation in its most simple, accessible, and reliable models to date.” That translates into carefully selected compromises on features that helped Van Moof simplify the bikes’ design. The advantage is twofold: a simpler build can lead to less costly repair calls while letting the company lower the bikes’ price on the market.

For example, instead of the usual three-speed automatic shifter, we saw on the S3 and X3, the VanMoof S4 and X4 sport two-speed automatic gear shifting, with a lower gear for acceleration and hill-climbing and a higher gear for cruising on flat roads. 

In North America, the two bikes will have a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h), whereas, in Europe, they will be limited to 25km/h. The range goes up to 140km for both models when the e-bikes are operated in the lower-consumption power mode. The main battery will be non-removable, while a second, optional auxiliary battery can be strapped onto the back of the bike for additional range. “One of the hardest things in life is to make things more simple,” says VanMoof, cofounder Taco Carlier. “With the S4 & X4, we’ve mastered the art of simplification to make our e-bikes more accessible and reliable than ever.” VanMoof S4 and X4 are already available in USA, UK, and Europe for $2,498 / £2,198 /€2,198. That’s about $1000 less than the S5 and A5 models introduced last year.