Electric Bike Companies That Have Gone Out Of Business

Does anyone have any updates/news on the BionX situation? My LBS is still promoting the Elby ... I test drove it, and really love the way it rides. They are assuring me that it is safe to purchase an Elby right now, but they are of course biased. I read somewhere that the company that purchased part of BionX is making components in Taiwan right now ... but can't seem to find evidence to substantiate that as a fact. Should I hold off with purchasing any bike based on BionX components?
No updates but Elby appears to be marketing their legacy Bionx line on their Facebook page and website. A July 1 post on their Facebook page talked about a new line of models for 2021, I would suppose it very likely the new bikes will be powered by a different motor, with no production line and proprietary parts the Bionx system is a developmental dead end. Elby said in the comments on another FB post they have enough spares to support the Bionx bikes for the warranty period, but after that it’s anybody’s guess how long parts might be available. Another brand that used Bionx was Ohm who switched to Shimano Steps motors for their 2020 models, but I don’t know what options they offered customers with the Bionx. Without a clear migration path, option to trade in if/when they do restock, I would advise not buying an ebike with a Bionx motor.
 
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TidalForce Electric Bikes by Wavecrest
These ebikes had a rear hub motor and a front wheel hub with the batteries.
I have 2 bikes I built using their S750 frame.
 
I’m very curious if anyone would dare buy an ebike that MIGHT even be on this list? I cannot imagine trusting/buying from any but the most solid ebike companies, especially since I’m no electrical/mechanical whiz.
 
Gio Motors, Vancouver, BC, went out of business in 2015. That’s my bike, an H2 Volt. I bought it from a local motorcycle shop in Calgary, Alberta that imported primarily cheap motorcycles and quads made in China. They then got ahold of the remaining inventory of the Vancouver importer for the Gio ebikes that had gone out of business. Sold them at about 50% off list, which is why I bought mine, for about $800 Cdn. The battery had little power so I returned it under warranty. Otherwise its been reliable.
 
PIM (Power In Motion) the spin off of Polaris eBike is slowly selling off remaining inventory on EBay. The deal looks something like this. You buy the eBike without an operational battery for $500. Then have the battery "rebuilt" by a third party like Nethers Battery. I think this is going to keep my two Polaris eBikes in operation for another couple of years. I just sent a 380 Wh pack to Nethers it will come back as a 600+ Wh pack. They say they have the knowledge and test equipment to ensure the rebuild is right before sending it back. So while "out of business" inventory is still available.
 
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