Bristol’s the biggest city in the South West and has a reputation for ‘progressive’ views: four of its five MPs are from the Labour Party, and one is from the Green Party, which also runs the City Council. Add in indifferent public transport and high levels of road congestion, and it should be fertile ground for the likes of Vmoto and its top-selling range of battery electric two-wheelers.
So it looks like a smart move from local dealership Downend Bikes & Scooters, which is taking on the full range of Vmoto models with immediate effect.
The family dealership in the Downend area of Bristol has been a small bike and scooter specialist since 1999, with well-known local owner Simon Osguthorpe has been in the motor and motorcycle trade all his life. Now run with the help of son Josh and daughter Charlotte, Osguthorpe’s Downend dealership has fully bought into the range of zero-emission machines from Vmoto, including the latest motorcycle-style Stash model.
Charlotte Armstrong, Downend director, said, “We have a strong, loyal local customer base, so it was a big decision for us to make a change, but we are passionate towards electric bikes, and our experience with Vmoto has been overwhelmingly positive. It has been refreshing to have this level of enthusiasm from a manufacturer, and I think we can make a good go of it, looking at the margins and support that Vmoto offer.”
The network expansion continues the growth of Vmoto in the UK, which remains the biggest-selling electric bike marque, albeit restricted to the urban mobility sector rather than the much tougher world of large electric bikes. Operating out of its Guildford headquarters, Vmoto UK has several ‘open points’ left to fill in its professional dealer network, which it’s keen to fill, according to Vmoto UK sales manager Ed Boxell.
“Downend is a well-known scooter specialist in an urban area perfect for electric biking,” said Boxell. “They have been very enthusiastic, and we’d like to extend support for the dealership as they look to grow their customer base.”
For more information about becoming a Vmoto dealership, contact Ed Boxell: [email protected] or 07572 313983.