Electric motorbike maker FTN Motion reaps benefits of higher fuel prices
Friday, 10 April 2026
Kiwi electric motorbike maker FTN Motion is reaping the benefits of higher fuel prices, racking up its best ever sales last month, co-chief executive Luke Sinclair says.
The company recently competed its latest capital raising of $2 million to launch its latest retro-styled motorbike, the Streetdog XR, which will start rolling out the door from its Hamilton factory next month.
The more powerful model is the first step towards exports, starting with sales to Australia and to be followed by a third major market next year.
“The goal is to be a major player in the space of offering two-wheel emission-free commuting solutions for major cities around the world.”
“We want to build something that outperforms the petrol equivalent” in the commuter low speed market where electric already outperform 50cc petrol scooters and motorbikes, Sinclair said.
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More powerful open road models are planned over the next few years, he said.
The bikes provided a reminder of the value of electric vehicles at a time of energy security concerns and rising cost of fuel in the face of the war in Iran.
FTN Motion has built about 270 bikes across three models, ranging from the Streetdog 50 for commuting, to the more substantial Steetdog80 with a top speed of 80kph and the new more powerful Streetdog XR. Most sales are in New Zealand, but a growing number are going to Australia.
Work to streamline production has substantially reduced the time to build a bike to about five hours, with one or two bikes a week rolling out the door.
“Ultimately we need to be getting to 10 bikes a week,” Sinclair said.
Over the past year, the company has been trying to streamline its processes.
“Pricing has come down as a reflection of the efficiency gains and also our ambition to really get the company into a place where we can compete on the global stage.”
Sales of the XR had been better than expected given the cost of living crisis and tough economic conditions, he said. “We're the top-selling electric motorcycle New Zealand.”
Sinclair and co-founder Kendall Bristow are been mates going back more than 20 years - before high school in Pukekohe, where they lived and breathed cars and watching the V8 racing at the local track.
Both became engineers, and about eight years ago put together their first electric bike prototype, using plastic wrap to join batteries to the frame of an old BMX bike rescued from the rubbish dump to power an old electric motor and controller.
“That was like a real light bulb moment for us. With a throttle, some batteries and a motor controller, you've got this thing that is just so simple, Sinclair said.
The pair saw the opportunity was to combine “the sweet spot of commuting with something that looks good.”
Wellington was chosen to test the first “proper prototype”, with the city offering lots of small, winding hilly roads.
Today the company has eight full time employees and a couple of part-timers. “So a pretty small team for what's becoming a pretty complicated operation.”
“There are clear indications that we're going to be one of the top performers in Australia.” From there FTN Motion would target much larger markets - Europe or even the US.
“That's ultimately where we need to be.”