Damn Shame About Faraday

[motostrano]

Q - As a dealer , Can you get this brand -“ Klever” in US ? Is a Swiss brand , high end, 860wh bat., S pedelec bikes.

No, as far as I know. Europe has a lot of stuff we don't.

 

[motostrano]

Faraday is a classic case of an over priced product, delivering subpar performance. Battery too small, hub drive is weak, and although the bike looks very classy,
It's like the old Wendy's commercial " Where's da beef ?"

and like too many ebikes they got all kinds of unwarranted and unchecked good press from the consumer product and tech magazines/ezines who fell for the marketing and pr bling, helping to feed this product to consumers who ended up wanting it to do more than it was designed to do. I have said many times that the one and only problem Faraday solves is ugly-ebikeness, so if that is the only problem you are trying to solve, it might work, but if you need transportation, respectable range, reliability out of the box, ie performance, the Faraday would be something to park in your dotcom lobby as art, but not as a ride.

 

[erider_61]

You might want to keep in mind Wing ebikes are not known for their quality. Yes they are fast but would you like a 7 speed cassette with a 9 speed shifter?

 

[KenS]

Weirdly, I have been in contact with Faraday as a potential customer and asked directly about this issue. The sales rep denied that they were closing down and said that they had been assured by PON they were still in operation. I asked the rep to post something on EBR officially. Nothing seems to have been posted in the last couple of weeks as far as I can tell.

Faraday seems to be operating out of the Santa Cruz bike facility.

 

[MisterM]

Weirdly, I have been in contact with Faraday as a potential customer and asked directly about this issue. The sales rep denied that they were closing down and said that they had been assured by PON they were still in operation. I asked the rep to post something on EBR officially. Nothing seems to have been posted in the last couple of weeks as far as I can tell.

Faraday seems to be operating out of the Santa Cruz bike facility.

Bizarre then that they can't be bothered to set the record straight here on the biggest online ebike-specific site - doesn't engender much confidence in my eyes. But then again, Faraday products always seemed more hype than substance, so no real surprise.

I remember Cort going to their cool (read expensive) SF office last year and asking the guy running the place how things were going - he said great...

 

[Sonia]

Well I’ve been in contact with Faraday like two days ago I bought their Cortland S a year and a half ago. So I was concerned about replacing my battery when needed and she told me that they were going to still be selling everything through this year but that they were stopping this line of bikes told me to keep her phone number and contact them about the battery when I needed one but said if there was no one to make this line of batteries they would not have them in the future. So they’re going to keep selling these bikes this year the battery is only good for like two years so what do you do with a very expensive bike when you cannot get a battery for when you need it , hang it on the wall and look at it. ? I bought this bike because I needed something where I could sit up straight and I needed light weight I’m not able to walk any distance and I just wanted the battery to get up and down hills and I ride quite a lot sometimes twice a day, so I am able to move and get exercise.

 

[JRA]

Not a very complex proprietary system so you should be able to get the cells replaced and that would actually be preferable over a NOS one. Good chance they could use higher mAh cells also to get some more wh’s at the same time.

I still notice that Faraday is doing advertising but they don’t mention it is a going out of business thing....

 

[ebikemom]

@Sonia , there are other threads where folks talk about battery re-packing services. I think these services will become more common. The Cortland is a lovely bike, and I hope you are able to ride it for a long time. It could, though, be a good strategy to buy an extra battery and use them alternately, so they both stay in good shape. If I understand things correctly, you can't just store a battery for a long time without negative results.

I also like sitting up straight on my bike, and looked at Faraday ebikes, too (but went with my bike because I also wanted a throttle).

 

[Sonia]

Not a very complex proprietary system so you should be able to get the cells replaced and that would actually be preferable over a NOS one. Good chance they could use higher mAh cells also to get some more wh’s at the same time.

I still notice that Faraday is doing advertising but they don’t mention it is a going out of business thing....

Thank you for the info that helps. Well I called Faraday they called me back told me they would only be selling the bikes and accessories through 2019 and that if I would be needing the battery to call them by November. She told me to keep the phone number and call her personally.

 

[Billm212]

Why would you risk getting in with a system with no real dealer presence? What kind of support are you going to get on a product you can only buy online? The vast majority of bikes shops and even ebike shops aren't going to touch these products if you have an issue with them. Why not go with something with a better support network and have a functional bike?

Absolutely right, as bitter experience has shown. I bought a Cortland because of the reviews, including a video of the owner stating that an great app was coming out and that they were close to having a spare battery that would integrate with the electronic so there would be no need to physically switch when one ran out. Neither representation proved accurate. Now the seat post is defective and, after being told the procedure for a replacement, which involved paying for it yourself, then sending a photo of the new post on the bike to Faraday, after which they would send you a check for $25. What a scheme - I have never heard of a recall in which the company didn't pay for the cost of remedying the defect directly and, of course, I am getting the runaround for the people who are handling the recall - no one seems to know anything. One would think the person you talk to would be able to tell you the status, at least.
This is/was a company that is a shining example of overpromising and underperforming.

Faraday is a classic case of an over priced product, delivering subpar performance. Battery too small, hub drive is weak, and although the bike looks very classy, it just wasn't practical versus what you could get from another ebike OEM, and do so for a lower price than what Faraday charged. There are still a lot of ebike brands getting away with this sort of thing (high priced, underperformance), but eventually the market will sort that out.

Another candidate that has a good shot at suffering the same unfortunate fate, is this ebike from Zietgeist. https://www.zeitgeist.bike/

Sure it looks cool, since they hide the batteries in the frame tube, but the cells and capacity is too small for practicality, and the motor is too weak as well. They try to emphasize people use it as a 'bike' and then let it kick in when you are on hills, but the reality of how most riders ride is far different. the really goofy thing, is they actually show battery cells from Panasonic, that are the CR123A's you can buy from Amazon, and are NOT re-chargeable. Those can't be the actual batteries used, but wow, what a marketing fauxpaux that is !

I guess its 'hidden' by the fact, they are showing the ebike in front of an Audi.

Faraday had nice marketing too, and a snazzy website. Didn't help their cause though.

It's like the old Wendy's commercial " Where's da beef ?"

 

[FlatSix911]

Absolutely right, as bitter experience has shown. I bought a Cortland because of the reviews, including a video of the owner stating that an great app was coming out and that they were close to having a spare battery that would integrate with the electronic so there would be no need to physically switch when one ran out. Neither representation proved accurate. Now the seat post is defective and, after being told the procedure for a replacement, which involved paying for it yourself, then sending a photo of the new post on the bike to Faraday, after which they would send you a check for $25. What a scheme - I have never heard of a recall in which the company didn't pay for the cost of remedying the defect directly and, of course, I am getting the runaround for the people who are handling the recall - no one seems to know anything. One would think the person you talk to would be able to tell you the status, at least.
This is/was a company that is a shining example of overpromising and underperforming.

Our local bike shop had a fire sale on the Faraday Ebikes and could not give them away once they disclosed the closure and lack of warranty/service.

They finally sold the remaining stock for $500 as-is with absolutely no service or support going forward... you were on your own when the system failed.

 

[Billm212]

Absolutely right, as bitter experience has shown. I bought a Cortland because of the reviews, including a video of the owner stating that an great app was coming out and that they were close to having a spare battery that would integrate with the electronic so there would be no need to physically switch when one ran out. Neither representation proved accurate. Now the seat post is defective and, after being told the procedure for a replacement, which involved paying for it yourself, then sending a photo of the new post on the bike to Faraday, after which they would send you a check for $25. What a scheme - I have never heard of a recall in which the company didn't pay for the cost of remedying the defect directly and, of course, I am getting the runaround for the people who are handling the recall - no one seems to know anything. One would think the person you talk to would be able to tell you the status, at least.
This is/was a company that is a shining example of overpromising and underperforming.

Well, I finally got paid but they made the check out to the bike shop, which I had already paid, so I had to take a trip there and they paid me the $25.
Three days later, and a month out of warranty, the battery won’t charge. Blue LED thing. This bike has been the absolute worst POS of anything I have ever bought. No wonder they are out of business.

 

[FlatSix911]

Well, I finally got paid but they made the check out to the bike shop, which I had already paid, so I had to take a trip there and they paid me the $25.
Three days later, and a month out of warranty, the battery won’t charge. Blue LED thing. This bike has been the absolute worst POS of anything I have ever bought. No wonder they are out of business.

Sorry to hear this... I can't believe that Faraday is still actively marketing their bikes on social media.
I just received an advertisement on Facebook from Faraday... with no mention of the business closure.

 

[KenS]

You won't get any indication of their closure if you go to their web site. I think it is unconscionable not to warn customers that they are buying a bike from a company that is basically out of the business.

 

[KenS]

Faraday was selling its bikes at 40% off, without warning potential customers that they were going out of business.

Today, I looked at their web site and they had *decreased* the discount to 25%! Still no indication of the status of their business.

Very weird.

 

[FlatSix911]

Faraday was selling its bikes at 40% off, without warning potential customers that they were going out of business.

Today, I looked at their web site and they had *decreased* the discount to 25%! Still no indication of the status of their business.

Very weird.

Hard to believe Faraday would try to pull this stunt on new customers with no service or parts.

 

[yiminycrickets]

Interesting conversation here. The other day I purchased a Faraday bike without thinking. It was the only ebike that doesn’t look like a hideous ebike.

next, i did what I always do after any big purchase: googled it to death, which brings me here.

immediately i thought to write the company asking about a secondary battery. They indicated that five or ten years might go by and i can still acquire backup parts from them. They said ask them then.

also i asked what new bikes theyre coming out with, since they were running out of the discontinued ones. Instead of saying they wont make anymore bikes, they told me to “stay tuned!”

so who knows. They were acquired, yeah. But they didn’t say no more bikes in the future.

I don’t worry about the company going outta business. If i get a couple years use out of this thing, and then the batterys only good for 15 mile trips, and then theystop answering emails for replacements, that wont surprise me.

this is my first ebike, and i am very happy with the style and glad i could get one of these before none are left on the market. By tjat time i will probably be comfortable fitting the bike with aftermarket parts, or whatever it is ppl do with bikes they want electrified.

my bike arrives in three weeks

 

[KenS]

Good luck to you. Enjoy the bike. I hope it works well for your riding conditions.

 

[FlatSix911]

Interesting conversation here. The other day I purchased a Faraday bike without thinking. It was the only ebike that doesn’t look like a hideous ebike.
next, i did what I always do after any big purchase: googled it to death, which brings me here.
immediately i thought to write the company asking about a secondary battery. They indicated that five or ten years might go by and i can still acquire backup parts from them. They said ask them then.
also i asked what new bikes theyre coming out with, since they were running out of the discontinued ones. Instead of saying they wont make anymore bikes, they told me to “stay tuned!”
so who knows. They were acquired, yeah. But they didn’t say no more bikes in the future.
I don’t worry about the company going outta business. If i get a couple years use out of this thing, and then the batterys only good for 15 mile trips, and then theystop answering emails for replacements, that wont surprise me.
this is my first ebike, and i am very happy with the style and glad i could get one of these before none are left on the market. By tjat time i will probably be comfortable fitting the bike with aftermarket parts, or whatever it is ppl do with bikes they want electrified.
my bike arrives in three weeks

You may want to research the brand before purchase... take a look at these posts from the Faraday Facebook page.
Current owners are already reporting major issues with getting a response or parts from Faraday. Buyer beware...

Facebook

www.facebook.com

 

[yiminycrickets]

Yes, I saw that post yesterday. I could not find where the owners were complaining in the specific thread you linked, but I did see the two complaints on their homepage. I will be interested to see if my experience is the same. I was disappointed about their reduced discount, but they emailed me a coupon code to take $525 back off the price (the difference in reduction), making it a cheaper option than anything I could find locally.

I am really taking my chances! Hopefully things will work out, and I won't regret it. I have a positive attitude about it, no matter what. Hopefully it will last long enough to get me to the next evolution of ebikes, so that if anything goes wrong, I can take it someplace in Brooklyn, and have them trick it out with a whole new electrical setup (if needed).