Image credits: Mokumono
Mokumono, an Amsterdam-based e-bike brand, announced on Tuesday the launch of its latest e-bike, Polder. The launch announcement comes two months after raising €800K in funding from Rabobank in collaboration with a consortium of five informal investors.
The company, which aims to bring back bike production to the Netherlands, said that 90 per cent of the bike parts were sourced locally, making the brand way less dependent on Asian production and supply lines.
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Similar to its previous models, Delta S and Delta C, Polder’s frame is produced by pressing aluminum sheets into the form using techniques commonly used in the car industry, after which the two frame halves are robotically welded together.
Unlike the company’s previous outings, Polder features a modular design, meaning the frame contains an accessible trunk that can be opened, inside which the battery is located.
Mokumono says the fusion of modular design, indestructible frame, and top-tier parts will extend Polders’ lifetime for a decade. It comes powered by a small and powerful rear-wheel motor with an integrated torque sensor.
The e-bike comes with two battery options – 360Wh with a range of 80 km and 540Wh with a 120 km range. The Dutch company says that the battery is removable, and it can be taken out, charged inside the house, and can double as a power bank for other devices.
The innovative frame suits drivers starting at 165 cm up to 195 cm. According to the company, Polder switches on using Bluetooth technology when its driver approaches.
Besides the e-bikes launch, the company has also introduced the ‘right to ride’ principle, where Mokumono commits to keeping all parts of the bike available and in stock for ten years.
If a repair is required, a Mokumono technician will come to the client to fix the bike on location.
Mokumono is now taking pre-orders for Polder at its official website at an introductory price of €2590. The bike comes in 40 different colors and will be delivered to customers starting in September this year.
Co-founder Tom Schiller, who founded Mokumono with his twin brother Bob, says, ‘We took everything we learned from producing the Delta to make a bike that is suited and affordable for a larger audience. Our goal isn’t just to build the best-looking and most exciting e-bike around, we’re trying to shake up the entire bike industry along the way. We’re showing that you don’t need a factory in Taiwan to build good and affordable e-bikes without making any concessions. We don’t intend to sell you a new bike every two years – we want to see you driving this one as long as possible. That’s actual sustainability.’
Mokumono: What you need to know
According to Mokumono, around 97 per cent of all bicycle frames sold in Europe are manufactured in Asia.
The company says there was a time when The Netherlands had a thriving bicycle industry, and made-in-the-Netherlands stood for quality and craftsmanship.
Founded by Bob and Tom Schiller in 2014, Mokumono is on a mission to bring back bike production to the Netherlands and inject transparency into the supply chain.
Mokumono invented a unique way of producing bikes that involves pressing and welding steel plates using the automated production techniques from the car industry.
Prior to the launch of the Polder , the company offered two e-bikes – Delta S and Delta C – and has won several design awards, including the Design and Innovation Award 2022.
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