Yup I happily bought a Vanmoof S2 when it came out (2019) thinking it would be seamless and I could take it into the local Vanmoof shop whenever there were issues.

It turned out to be a lot less reliable than I had hoped, and there were issues with the hardware AND the software. Making it super frustrating that it was all integrated.

Software

  - If the bike wasn't used for a few weeks it would turn itself back into "shipping mode" and I would need to reset the bike with a pin.
  - Settings were forgotten almost every time the bike went to sleep, it would reset the sounds settings so turning it on or unlocking it would always play the cheesy sound effects no matter how many times I turned them off.
  - For the first year or so the app would regularly log me out. And the design of the app at the time made it look like you were chatting with a bot so it would take longer to login than needed. Thankfully they redesigned it.

Hardware

  - The integrated back wheel lock will now only unlock if I move the bike a few inches, any additional inches and the lock re-locks itself.
  - The bike would randomly show an error code and drop power. Vanmoof replaced the battery and onboard computer but I have had it occasionally show error codes since and am nervous it'll turn into a brick at some point.

I now also own a regular cargo bike and the difference has been night and day. It doesn't look as cool, and requires more locks to keep it all secure. But it's dumb and just works, and I can do a lot of the service myself (excluding the electronics). Removing the back wheel on the Vanmoof is super challenging and makes me nervous about getting a flat.

I'd never want a bike that can lock itself remotely, my big fear would be the same as what you get when you have an irresponsible and inquisitive toddler at the back of the bike: "I wonder what would happen if I locked daddy's bike while we're cruising along?"

Only then without the toddler...

What in particular do you service on the electronics of your cargo bike?

Thankfully they had thought through the accidental locking, it needs to be stationary and in a certain position to lock. It's just getting it unlocked that is a little more of a hassle now :).

Sorry for the confusion I meant I can do all the service on the bike except the electronics. Things like brake pads and tires that wear down easily. On the Vanmoof it's a little more challenging to remove wheels for security - which I used to appreciate because I've had even little things like a mount for a light taken off my bike... but now I prefer it to be easier to service and just carry around more locks.

But that's all dependent on the implementation details: is the lock remotely activated or is it locally activated after local verification that those conditions are present. Because otherwise some joker could remote lock your bike, even when in motion. The outward appearance would be identical!

Thankfully you need to physically lock it with a button push on the back wheel. Unlocks can be done remotely with the app though (with a nearby bluetooth connection).

At the same time, all bikes break. They have to bear heavy vibrations and wear. You need a global logistic network of replacement parts, and a bike has many parts. Using common parts, or at least 50% common parts, would reduce design, production and logistics. On top of that, vanmoof also did repairs themselves.

That's all true. I think this is where my love for the local bike mechanic comes into play: each small town here has a couple of them, and the density is such that no company serving only a single brand could set up that kind of network. And it's also why I will never buy a bike online: these people are essential and to buy a bike with them ensures they stay in business. Every now and then when they are short on time and I have something I need fixed right away I'll be happy to do it myself assuming I have the tools. But for some bikes (for instance: a tandem that we have that has a lot of rare stuff on it) I'd rather have the bike shop work on it than that I'm going to end up risking wrecking something. Older bikes are easier in that sense, far less hard to source stuff.

I think Van Moof could have made it if they had been far more strict on QA and designing for reliability from day #1, bikes are as you correctly noted operating in a hostile environment and you need to design for that. Bike electronics are hard (super easy to mess that one up), batteries are hard, software is hard. If you then add a bunch of custom stuff you've set yourself up for failure. I did not do DD on any of the Van Moof rounds but when evaluating what bike to buy I looked at their bikes and decided that I did not like what I saw and went for a Riese & Mueller instead, which has served me extremely well (12000 km and counting, not a single failure in the field other than a broken spoke which was easily remedied, and likely the result of bumping the bike with another one in the garage here). Van Moof had their shot, they failed and I doubt the buyers are going to make this work without a total departure from both the business model and that bike design. They should make a deal with Bafang, Shimano or Bosch or some other experienced manufacturer to make their custom parts for them in return for some margin, the bikes are plenty expensive to leave enough room for that and they can pay for that from the reduced warranty reserve. As an added bonus they get certification thrown in as long as they don't change the wheel diameter. Then they can focus on the software (which had plenty of problems).