Praneeta Mahajan
Hamilton, November 15, 2023
Electricity-powered transport is rising across Aotearoa for a myriad of reasons. Pain at the fuel pump due to rising petrol prices, a desire to reduce CO2 emissions and a need to create new solutions for commuting challenges to name but a few.
A Wellington-based electric motorcycle company that has been creating a buzz with its innovation and potential success in the EV segment has now decided to call Hamilton its base.
FTN Motion recently surpassed the $1 million mark in its crowdfunding raise, which will see the electric motorcycle disruptor open new headquarters in Hamilton early next year.
FTN Motion is bidding adieu to Wellington to set up in Hamilton, or as co-founder Luke Sinclair describes it, “the city of the future.” The move has been received with an equal amount of enthusiasm by Hamiltonians, who are excited about the prospects for jobs, investment and innovation that would come with the Brand.
FTN Motion has been making their Streetdog electric motorcycles in Wellington’s Haining Street for the past two-and-a-half years and is now set to open their new workshop at the Te Rapa industrial subdivision in the New Year.
About the Brand
FTN Motion launched its New Zealand-made electric motorbike, the Streetdog, in 2021 and was eyeing the Australian and European markets, a venture that required more space than its current premises, near the Wellington CBD area.
FTN Motion’s Equitise campaign saw high demand from investors and has seen the company easily meet its minimum target of $1 million. The raise allows everyday investors to be part of FTN’s journey as it takes Kiwi innovation to the world stage and prepares to export to Australian and European markets.
Luke Sinclair, FTN Motion co-CEO and founder, said that they are fiercely proud of being a New Zealand-made company. Moving manufacturing and its head office to Hamilton helps keep its operations onshore.
“By the end of 2023, we will have more than 160 motorcycles on the road. Now that we have successfully launched the Streetdog, we are entering a new phase as we prepare to scale. Efficiencies across manufacturing and supply chains are absolutely crucial to our success. To achieve this, and compete globally, we have to give ourselves every advantage possible.
“We searched high and low for bigger headquarters in Wellington and further afield that allows us to do this, but eventually found what we need in Hamilton. The workshop is brand-new, purpose-built, and significantly more economical than other options. It is an incredibly difficult decision, but as a start-up, we need to be as efficient as possible and moving helps us achieve this,” Mr Sinclair said.
Wellington was the perfect launch pad
FTN Motion credits Wellington for helping shape the company into what it is today. It will retain a local presence, including Streedog servicing and key roles like software engineering.
“Wellington has provided the perfect launch pad, allowing us to build a fantastic community of investors, advisors, collaboration partners and customers. We have been lucky to attract some of the smartest and most dedicated talent in Wellington, and we would not be where we are today without the city’s support. It will always be the birthplace of FTN Motion and we will be forever grateful to the city and the local business and manufacturing communities,” he said.
Hamilton a manufacturing powerhouse
Mr Sinclair described Hamilton as a manufacturing powerhouse and said there is an added advantage of Hamilton being closer to major ports an important factor as FTN gets ready to export.
“Moving our assembly operations to Hamilton will allow us to streamline our local painting, powder coating, fabrication and laser cutting requirements for either production or R&D. We will also be within an hour of more than 70 per cent of our current customer base – the efficiencies gained by being closer to the majority of our customers is huge. It reduces the cost of deliveries, servicing, running events, test rides and road shows,” he said.
Luke Sinclair and FTN Motion General Manager Michel Roncara have just returned from Australia, where they introduced the Streetdog to Melbourne and Sydney consumers. The company will launch across the Tasman towards the end of 2024 and says its Australian wait list is growing quickly.
About FTN Motion
Friends Luke Sinclair and Kendall Bristow were based in Auckland when they began toying with the idea of creating electricity-powered street bikes. Not e-bikes, not quad-bikes but beautifully designed, smart and locally manufactured street bikes.
They completed the prototype of the ‘Streetdog’ during the Covid-19 lockdown, proving that something exceptional can come out of difficult times. Together with co-founder Saskia Thornton, FTN Motion seeks to change the way the world commutes by creating electric motorcycles that bring performance and a more analogue feel to the electric revolution through good design and world-class innovation.
The Streetdog is creating a new category of design-led urban motorcycles that appeal to commuters who want to escape the mundane and reduce their daily emissions. It has a unique, classic motorbike feel, paired with purposefully minimalist yet cutting-edge technology and layout for an exhilarating, uncomplicated riding experience. The Streetdog is powered by an electric 3KW hub motor with up to 80km of real-life range and a top speed of 50km per hour, as well as 30 litres of storage and a removable battery that can be charged anywhere there is a power plug.
Have a look at the Brand’s video here.
Praneeta Mahajan is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Hamilton.
