Join us for another ride on the rickety rollercoaster that is the e-bike industry: from hire bike success in London to the collapse of Ampler, to electrically augmented police, and new arrivals from Engwe.
Another e-bike brand goes under as Ampler files for bankruptcy
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E-bike pioneer Ampler has filed for bankruptcy. The Estonian company initially produced light single-speed urban e-bikes that stood in direct contrast to chunkier models with huge battery packs, and then moved on to adding genuinely useful features such as USB-C charging and GPS tracking.
According to handy Estonian news source shortl.ee, Ampler was €10 million in debt, but had achieved a revenue of €1 million in the first quarter of 2026. However, the company’s downfall was the lease on its flagship Berlin store, which became an “insurmountable financial burden” when its landlord demanded a €1.2 million penalty for termination.
As we’ve seen lately, brands such as VanMoof and Rad Power Bikes have been resurrected by big investors, and Ampler had a lot of fans — including our own reviewer, Richard Peace who praised the Ampler Curt as “a fun, fast, lightweight ride.”
Forest grows
While e-bike businesses flounder, the e-bike hire sector is flourishing. As This is Money reports, London-based e-bike operator Forest has reopened retail investment for the first time since 2021, with shares available at just under £4.60, matching the valuation from a recent £27 million institutional funding round. The company has apparently experienced a period of operational growth, with a 64 per cent year-on-year revenue increase to £22.5 million in 2025, and its distinctive green bikes can now be found across 18 London Boroughs.
Could £1,000 penalties prevent poor e-bike parking?
However, a Milton Keynes Alderman and Stony Stratford town councillor’s plans might dent e-bike hire company’s profits. Paul Bartlett believes he’s found a solution to e-bike and e-scooter parking problems by charging operators ludicrous amounts when vehicles are mis-parked.
”Any bike and e scooter not parked in a legal space should result to an [sic] immediate penalty to the Operators’ [sic] of £1000 per said vehicle,” Bartlett told the Milton Keynes Citizen. “It is then the decision of the Operators’ [sic] to seek recompense from the hirer.”
In January, Milton Keynes switched to a mandatory parking zone system, which resulted in fines for e-bikes and e-scooters parked outside designated areas. However, Bartlett believes that users are ignoring these, while adding that parishes should receive £500 per parking space installed.
”Why should a private company benefit from the public realm being used by them to make money?” he asks.
West Midlands Police take to e-bikes
We continue to the West Midlands, where lucky coppers are taking possession of a new fleet of crime-fighting e-bikes. Following a pilot scheme in Birmingham, West Midlands Police has invested almost £60,000 in 32 new e-bikes across the region.
”These new e-bikes are a smart, effective investment that will ensure our officers are more accessible and visible, and better equipped to prevent and tackle crime,” said West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster.
“By getting officers out of cars and onto our streets, we are building the trust and confidence that is essential to keeping people, families, businesses and communities safe and secure.”
The best of both worlds? Engwe launches O-Series
Engwe has just launched its O-Series, an e-bike that it claims brings riders the comfort of an urban bike with the convenience of a folder. According to the China-based company, the O-Series features “an upgraded suspension system, integrated smart security and anti-theft features, long-range battery support, and a high-torque motor system for urban and mixed-terrain use.”
5 thoughts on “Forest booms while Ampler goes bang, councillor singlehandedly solves e-bike parking problems, police get 32 crime-fighting e-bikes + more”
£1000 per vehicle?
Is that ALL vehicles? Or is it a “war on motorists” thing?
‘ Why should a private company benefit from the public realm being used by them to make money?” he asks.
But that’s what every single car manufacturer and oil company on the planet does. The entire public realm on the entire planet is designed for the benefit of cars – and therefore private companies make money from selling cars and taking up all the space in our town and country. And yet a few badly parked e-bikes are the problem? This Cllr is an idiot.
I think you’re missing a ‘[sic]’ after ‘per said vehicle’. ‘Per’ implies we’re talking about multiple occurrences, so to follow it with ‘said vehicle’ really makes no sense.
RE: Forest – “…matching the valuation from a recent £27 million institutional funding round. The company has apparently experienced a period of operational growth, with a 64 per cent year-on-year revenue increase to £22.5 million in 2025, …”
The article doesn’t say where all the revenue comes from but as expected for a bike hire company (and even more for dockless) doesn’t this mean that it doesn’t make a profit from the actual hire operation and requires money from elsewhere. And in this case it’s still mostly running on cash from venture capital?
If so I remain unconvinced this will help much in providing alternatives to driving. Just another wheeze to extract money via dumping of private stuff in public space (see cars…)
Police bikes: will they bother investigating when they get stolen or merely issue themselves a crime reference number and advice to check Gumtree?