Drone Brompton Drone: War in Ukraine delays folding bike brand’s new e-bike launch – because supplier was busy building drones for British Army

In one of the more bizarre cycling industry supply chain stories of recent years, Brompton’s chief executive has revealed that the launch of the iconic folding bike brand’s new G Line range last autumn was delayed by two months – because the supplier tasked with manufacturing controllers for the electric bike was too busy building drone parts for the UK’s Ministry of Defence, suspected to be used as part of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Last September, Brompton unveiled its electric G Line range, featuring larger 20in wheels, hydraulic disc brakes, and wider handlebars for greater off-road capability, prompting the folding bike company to describe it as the “most versatile bike in the world”.

However, cyclists eager to get their hands on the £3,499 bike were left waiting for an additional two months, due to delays in the manufacturing of the bike’s controller, or control switch, which communicates with the battery-powered motor.

Designed by Brompton, the controller’s production was outsourced to a British company – which was also tasked at the same time with supplying parts for drones to the British Army, effectively bumping the Greenford-based bike manufacturer down the list of priorities.

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The revelation was made by Brompton’s CEO Will Butler-Adams on BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House programme this week, during a discussion about the Army’s adoption of ‘drone racing’ as a sport.

“We make electric bikes, and inside our electric bikes we have controllers. The controller is made in the UK – designed by us and made by a British company,” Butler-Adams told the programme.

“We were launching a new bike – our G line – and it was delayed by two months because a controller manufacturer was also making stuff for the MoD.

“Actually it was making stuff for drones, and they needed a lot of drones, and therefore we got bumped down the list.”

It is believed that the drones in question are currently being used in Ukraine as part of the UK’s attempts to counter Russian drone activity targeting Ukraine’s allies.

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Adding to these drone-related delays, last month Brompton recalled the new G Line bikes over a single report of a Hinge Spindle breaking.

Releasing a statement on its website, Brompton reported that there had been one instance that did not result in injury or incident, but said “we are constantly working to improve so have taken the decision to change the Hinge Spindle to one which has increased durability”.

Butler-Adams’ revelation also comes in the same week that Brompton’s plans for an ambitious new eco-friendly factory and headquarters in Kent – itself delayed by two years due to the ongoing economic challenges facing the cycling industry – are set to be given the green light by councillors, despite the folding bike brand reporting the week before that its profits plummeted by over 99 per cent in 2024.

However, if as expected members of Ashford Borough Council give the go-ahead for the £10m facility on Wednesday, the planning application for the project will then be sent to housing secretary Angela Rayner for further approval, after the Environment Agency objected to the proposals, which it says pose a flood and loss of habitat risk.

In any case, the scheme – which has also faced criticism for lacking any car parking facilities on site – is already expected to be delayed by two years, after Brompton’s managing director Will Butler-Adams admitted last year that, even if planning permission was granted in early 2025, work on the factory wouldn’t begin right away, thanks to the financial turbulence continuing to affect both his company and the wider cycling industry.

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Last week Brompton revealed that its pre-tax profits had plunged from £10.7m in 2023 to just £4,602 for the year ending March 2024.

Responding to these figures, Butler-Adams said the fall in profits was due to Brompton simply selling fewer bikes than expected amid a “really sad state of affairs” for the global bike industry as it struggles to adapt in the wake of the post-pandemic boom.

“The industry is still in turmoil and will not get better this year. It will not be as bad as 2024 but there is still excess stock,” the managing director said.

Despite insisting that the folding bike brand was “over the worst of it”, Butler-Adams admitted in Brompton’s annual report that the company’s initial plans to move into its new Ashford headquarters were currently “on hold”.

Nevertheless, drone delays and hinge spindle-related recalls aside, Butler-Adams added that Brompton was also positive about the launch of its “more rugged” G Line bike, especially its electric version, which he believes will help usher in a more positive outlook for 2025.