Wellington, 8th July 2022 -
Kiwi e-motorcycle maker FTN Motion has been named the recipient of the prestigious Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka New Thinking Award at this year’s Wellington Gold Awards, held last night at TSB Arena.
The Wellington business, which is shaking up the electric vehicle industry with its flagship Streetdog moped-class e-motorcycle, has been lauded for its innovation, and for demonstrating new thinking that is motivational and inspiring for the Wellington community and beyond. Previous winners include luxury leather goods brand Yu Mei and Monique Fiso of Hia Kai.
Founded by engineers Luke Sinclair and Kendall Bristow during the first lockdown, FTN Motion’s mission is to make the world’s most beautiful moped-class electric motorcycles while reducing congestion, commute times, and pressure on the planet. They have seen huge demand for the Streetdog since releasing their prototype in early 2021, with their waiting list constantly growing ever since. The first 100 bikes will be hitting the streets from October, and the business has attracted more than $1.6 million in two over-subscribed capital raises since its inception.
Luke Sinclair says the win was a complete surprise. They had only found out about it shortly before the awards, while the announcement was only revealed to the public during last night’s event.
“We are stoked to receive this award, which was completely unexpected. We still feel we are at the beginning of our journey, and our entire team feels incredibly proud to be recognised for its work. Kendall and I relocated especially to Wellington to build the business and develop the Streetdog, and the city has welcomed us every step of the way,” he says.
Professor Stephen Cummings, Director of the Atom Innovation Space at Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka said FTN Motion was chosen for their innovation as well as the story of how the business was started by two motivated and inspiring young Kiwi entrepreneurs.
“FTN-Motion bikes are beautiful world-leading products that reflect the heart and soul of where they were designed and built - Wellington,” he says.
The Streetdog has a unique, classic cafe racer motorbike feel, characterised by state-of-the-art, yet minimalist technology. It runs on a powerful 3KW electric motor and has up to 80km of real-life range, with a top speed of 50km per hour, a removable battery, and huge storage capacity. The parts of the bike that would traditionally be made of fibreglass are being constructed of a highly resilient and unique new hemp material, bound with resin, which is strong, safe, and more sustainable.
The bikes are all individually made at FTN Motion’s workshop in Haining Street, Wellington, with as many components sourced locally as possible. Handcrafted with detailed aesthetics, function, and performance, the Streetdog, which can be ridden on a standard car licence and does not require previous motorcycle experience to ride, is unlike any other vehicle in its class.
FTN Motion’s third co-founder, Saskia Thornton, who is currently based in Europe as the brand looks to grow overseas, recently represented the business at the finalising of the NZ Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Brussels.
For more information visit www.ftnmotion.com
About FTN Motion.
Luke Sinclair and Kendall Bristow completed the first prototype of their electric moped during the COVID-19 lockdown, proving that something good can come out of difficult times. Together with their Amsterdam-based co-founder Saskia Thornton, they formed FTN Motion. Together they’re seeking to change the way New Zealand, and the world, commutes by creating sleek, timeless electric vehicles rooted in the carefree Kiwi lifestyle. Different by design, their moped-class e-bike has a unique, classic motorbike feel paired with purposefully minimalist technology and layout, for a stress-free, 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.
ENDS
For further information:
Jacinda Thorn, Public Relations | 027 397 0616 | jacinda@thornpr.co.nz
Sadie Beckman, Public Relations | 021 073 1313 |sadie@thornpr.co.nz