Delayed Deliveries: The E-Bike Industry’s Latest Headache

The latest casualty in the e-bike industry’s supply chain woes is Also, a spinoff of Rivian that has struggled to get its first products to customers on time. After months of delays, the company will start delivering its TM-B e-bikes next week, with all Launch Edition bikes expected to be shipped by September.

The story of Also’s delay involves mismanaged supply chains and a lack of transparency from the company itself. Initially targeting a “spring” 2026 ship date, the startup pushed back its delivery window to July due to unspecified supply chain issues. This was already a significant setback for customers who had been waiting patiently, but it seems that Also has once again fallen short of its promises.

The decision to spin out from Rivian in March 2025 with $105 million in backing from Eclipse seemed like a bold move at the time. However, as delays mounted and supply chain issues continued to plague the industry, it became clear that Also was not immune to these problems. The company’s attempts to downplay these issues, citing “current stress on global supply chains” without providing specifics, have added to customer frustration.

New entrants in the e-bike market face significant challenges, as seen with Also and other startups like Specialized and Trek, which have been navigating the complex world of e-bike manufacturing for years. Startups must balance meeting delivery deadlines with maintaining quality standards while supply chains are under strain.

Also’s plans to expand its product line beyond the TM-B e-bike will be put to the test by the company’s inability to deliver on existing promises. The startup’s biggest challenge now is not just getting its products to customers on time but also convincing them that it can be trusted.

The r/ALSOmicromobility subreddit thread, where customers vented about repeated delays and a lack of communication from Also, highlights the importance of customer service in this industry. While some customers are willing to give companies like Also the benefit of the doubt, others have lost patience and canceled their reservations.

As the e-bike market continues to grow and mature, companies like Also will need to do more than just deliver products on time – they’ll need to build trust with customers through transparent communication, timely updates, and a commitment to quality. For now, Also has its work cut out in getting its TM-B e-bikes to customers while rebuilding trust with an increasingly skeptical customer base.

In the long run, this experience may prove to be a valuable learning opportunity for Also. By acknowledging its mistakes and making amends, the company can emerge from this period of delay and uncertainty stronger and more resilient than ever. But for now, it’s hard not to feel a sense of déjà vu as another e-bike startup struggles to live up to its promises in an industry where supply chain woes seem to be the new normal.

The question is: what will Also do next? Will it learn from its mistakes and take steps to prevent similar delays in the future, or will it continue down a path of broken promises and disappointed customers? Only time will tell.