German brand E-bility GmbH, the parent company of electric scooter specialist Kumpan, has been facing some financial difficulties in recent years. The brand, which first opened its doors in 2010, develops and manufactures a variety of electric scooters. Unfortunately for Kumpan, its parent company E-bility was forced to file for bankruptcy in February 10, 2023.
It's a shame, really, as Kumpan has quite an impressive electric scooter in the form of the Kumpan 54i, a retro-style city runabout. At the time of filing for insolvency, the brand cited that it had 75 employees on its payroll, all of whom have had their salaries covered by the Federal Employment Agency only until the end of March, 2023.
As for the circumstances surrounding the company's bankruptcy, well, it was a combination of bad luck and poor timing. In 2020, the company's production facility was involved in a fire that caused the loss of lots of equipment and machinery. A year later, the devastating flood in the Ahr valley caused significant damage to the company's assets. This was soon followed by logistical concerns and the notorious microchip shortage, not to mention rising energy prices ever since the invasion of Ukraine.
Luckily for the company and some its employees, on April 4, 2023, it was confirmed that E-bility, and likewise Kumpan, would live on under new ownership. The new owner of the electric scooter manufacturer is none other than Lohia e-mobility GmbH, the German arm of the Indian copany Lohia Group. According to a report by our friends over at Motorrad Online, the company has already conducted restructuring. The report states that some of the employees had to be let go, but it doesn't give an exact number as to how many employees were retained.
Following the acquisition, it has yet to be announced what E-bility, and likewise, Kumpan's next steps would be. That being said, it seems that operations will continue, as the company's facility in Remagen will be kept.
