Electric motorcycle and e-bike maker SONDORS, also known as lower-case Sondors, has entered receivership, according to electric vehicle enthusiast site Electrek.com. Electrek has been tracking the company’s problems for some time.
Similar to bankruptcy, receivership is brought about by the company’s creditors, not the company itself, in a quest to liquidate the assets of a company (or sell it outright) to pay off debts. Electrek says Sondors and its assets are now for sale.
Electrek.com claims Sondor’s suppliers have gone unpaid for some time and shipment of products, most notably the street-legal Metacycle electric motorcycle, has stopped and both finished and unfinished bikes are apparently sitting in a facility in China. In paperwork filed well before the receivership, Sondors claims it had shipped thousands of bike to customers. Electrek says a review of the receivership documents indicate there may be in excess of 10,000 deposits for Sondors’ Metacycle, representing almost $20 million in cash. What will happen with those deposits is not addressed in the documents.
Sondors made a splash on the electric motorcycle scene during the pandemic with the promised freeway-legal Metacycle, a $5,000 electric motorbike which sported a large hub motor in the back wheel and a removable battery pack. It also featured an unusual “hollow” frame design and futuristic appearance. However, the Metacycle’s weight, features, quality and performance claims came under scrutiny from several quarters when the first Metacycle units were subjected to review in 2022, which included the popular Fortnine YouTube channel hosted by Ryan Kluftinger, better known as RyanF9. Ryan ultimately gave the Metacycle a pass on the merits of price and enjoyment, but also cautioned buyers beware over unmet promises.
Along with the Metacycle, Sondors also sold a selection of e-bikes from between $1,700 and $3,500. The ebikes and Metacycle were constructed in China, and the company apparently had a number of other new products in development. Phone calls to a Sondors customer support phone number with a Los Angeles area code resulted in a busy signal. So far, emails from ADVrider seeking comment have not yet been returned.
Did you order a Metacycle? Did it arrive? Tell us your story in comments.
