Last week we reported on Fiido’s latest e-bike frame recall, which saw yet another one of its models demonstrate a propensity to break in half after several months of riding. Now the company is stepping up with a redesign and a $10,000 promise to make Fiido T1 e-bike owners feel more secure about their rides.
If this gives you déjà vu, you aren’t alone.
Earlier this year we covered another one of Fiido’s e-bike models that broke in half, triggering a massive recall.
Now the T1 is doing the same thing, but Fiido has again been quick to respond.
Within a day of our original report, the company began addressing the problem in owner’s groups, quickly following up shortly after with an online tool to allow Fiido T1 e-bike owners to determine if their frame was on the list of affected models.
The company explained that the issue was related to a design flaw in the downtube, and immediately released design drawings and images showing a new reinforcement that had been added to the frame on Fiido T1 models currently in production (seen above).
In addition to the exterior reinforcement, Fiido also explained that an interior reinforcement had been included inside the frame tube as well.
To further appease owners, the company added a few other upgrades to the bike including hydraulic disc brakes to replace the previous mechanical disc brakes.
Fiido also released videos showing T1 frames undergoing accelerated cycle life testing in its frame lab, as you can see below. Both reinforced and un-reinforced frames appear on various apparatuses.
But the two most significant guarantees made to owners of the redesigned model are an extended 5-year warranty and a $10,000 guarantee that future e-bikes will remain in one piece.
As the company explained:
1. All T1s (including those in stock and the replacements) will enjoy a 5-year warranty from Fiido for the frame from now on.
2. We promise that if any of the new T1s suffers from a frame-breaking issue under normal use conditions, Fiido will compensate the customer with $10,000. No questions asked. We are confident in T1 and are sure that no one will have the need to claim this. But feel free to bet against us.
Fiido is now sending out new T1 electric bikes to owners with affected frames, though without the battery and charger.
Owners are being asked to save their original battery and charger to be used on the new replacement bike.
According to emails from Fiido sent to T1 owners, the replacement e-bikes are expected to arrive in the US by Novermber 7th, 2022 and to begin reaching most customers by November 15, 2022. The company says that they expect to have all affected e-bikes replaced by the end of the year.
Electrek’s Take
This is obviously a disaster scenario for riders and the e-bike company, but I must say that Fiido seems to be handling it as well as anyone could have hoped.
They’ve made it easy for owners to determine if their e-bikes are affected, they’ve redesigned the bike and plan to have replacements in owners’ hands less than a month after the problem was reported (including shipping from halfway around the world), and they’re putting their money where their mouths are by offering a $10,000 guarantee against future T1s breaking.
I would have loved to see them include all of their future e-bikes in that $10,000 guarantee though, as that would make them extra sure that any new e-bike gets sufficiently tested on the way out of the factory.
But as far as crisis response goes, Fiido seems to have done quite well.
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