Kiwi firm lands e-bike deal

New Zealand electric motorbike manufacturer Ubco has scored a breakthrough deal with Australia Post buying 175 bikes.

They will be used for an 18-month trial that could lead to a wider rollout for the company’s 10,000 posties.

The Tauranga-based start-up says its products are a customised faster, rear-wheel version its original 2x2, which sells for $8,999 in its special edition.

“This is a pivotal moment for Australia Post,” says Paul Graham, Australia Post’s chief executive.

“This fleet allows us to electrify a broader spectrum of routes, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and further advancing our sustainability goals.”

Meanwhile, NZ Post, which currently operates about 400 electric four-wheelers from Norway’s Paxster and 172 petrol motorcycles, is also running a trial with Ubco albeit on a smaller scale.

“Over the past 12 months, NZ Post has been working with Ubco and AusPost, which has developed a bike solution to replace the AusPost motorcycle fleet with the electric version,” says an NZ Post spokeswoman. “Ubco and AusPost have provided us with results of the work done with their bike development.”

Next month, NZ Post will begin trialling four Ubco electric motorbikes in Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch.

The testing and pilot of the Ubco bikes will run for three months. NZ Post will then consider the results and its future approach beyond this.

NZ Post recently stated individual Paxsters, which cost it around $24,000, will not be replaced if they irreparably broke down.  

“Ongoing discussions are being held with NZ Post with a view to fleet expansion subject to the success of the pilot,” Ubco’s chief executive, Oliver Hutaff, told the NZ Herald. 

“While we cannot specifically comment on the Paxster phase-out, we welcome any discussion NZ Post would like to have on this to see where our bike could be used to replace some of the postal deliveries the Paxsters serviced.”