Electric Motorbikes: What’s Available in New Zealand?

Hybrid and electric cars now make up 45% of all new cars on our roads. However, electric motorbikes are yet to prove as popular.

Major bike manufacturers haven’t embraced electric power, and those electric motorcycles that are available come with lower speeds and range than ICE models, plus far heftier price tags.

However, that’s not to say that electric motorbikes are absent from the market. And some smaller, niche brands have achieved quite a few new registrations last year, notably homegrown brands UBCO and FTN Motion. Although, regrettably, UBCO is now in liquidation.

Here Canstar runs through the most popular electric motorbikes and scooters in New Zealand.

Top-selling Electric Motorbikes in NZ

UBCO 2×2

Kiwi brand UBCO was the country’s most popular electric motorbike over 2024, so let’s hope the brand can be saved. The 2×2 delivers a top speed of 50kph and a range of up to 120km. The motorbike features all-wheel drive with two motors, and can carry up to 150kg.

• Power: 2 x 1kW motors
• Price: from around $7100

FTN Motion Streetdog

FTN Motion is another homegrown Kiwi brand. Its Streetdog bikes play on the styling of classic cafe racers to deliver an electric ride that will propel you around the urban landscape in style. The original Streetdog50 has a top speed of 50km, and a 80-100km range, while the new Streetdog80 has a top speed of 80km, and a 60-80km range.

• Power: 5kW/7.5kW
• Prices: from $11,400

Lima M9

The Lima M9 has a top speed of 45km/h and a range of up to 80km, depending on usage. It has hydraulic suspension and loads of underseat storage.

• Power: 1.5kW
• Price: $2800

Horwin EK1

The Horwin EK1 boasts the classic styling of European-designed scooters, with none of the noise or emissions. It has a range of up to 80km and a top speed of 50km/h. The scooter has a removeable 72V 36Ah battery.

• Power: 2kW
• Price: $3995

Super Soco TC Max

The Super Soco TC Max is made by Chinese company Vmoto, which makes two e-scooter models, the CUX and CPX, that are also available in NZ. However, the TC Max is the company’s top-of-the-range bike. It comes in two models, featuring either spoke wheels or alloy wheels, and both versions have an impressive top speed of 100km and a range of 110km.

• Power: 3.9kW
• Price: from $7990

Niu NQI Sport

The NIU boasts a super-reliable Bosch motor, and an extended range of up to 80km. It has cruise control, and an electronic braking system (EBS) that works in combination with dual disc brakes to provide safety and extended range. The Niu NQI Sport also has upgradable software that allows you to wirelessly improve its performance through the nifty NIU app that also delivers real-time performance data.

• Power: 2.4kW
• Price: $4699

Mangosteen M1

The M1 boasts some distinctive styling, and describes itself as more an electric scooter than an electric motorbike. This is reflected in its more limited range, around 48km on a single charge, although it has a top speed of 60km/h and a load capacity of 200kg.

• Power: 2kW
• Price: street-legal version approx $2300

Cineco City Slicker

The Cineco City Slicker looks like a motorbike but is classed as a moped. It has a range of up to 80km and can hit 50km/h in just over five seconds. The zippy, cool-looking bike is fun and safe to ride, thanks to high-performance suspension and responsive hydraulic disc brakes.

• Power: 3.2kW
• Price: $5300

How much do electric motorcycles cost to run?

Just like conventional ICE vehicles, the amount of energy an electric motorcycle uses depends on how you use it. The faster you travel, the more energy you’ll use. You’ll also use more electricity the heavier your load, or if you’re crossing rugged or steep terrain.

However, the running costs of electric motorcycles are tiny, around 1c per km, and easy to calculate. The bikes and scooters above have electric motors ranging from 1.5kW to 7.5kW. This indicates how much electricity they use running at full speed for an hour.

Currently, the average cost of power per kilowatt-hour in New Zealand is 35.36c. So using that average, the hourly max running cost of each of the above motorbikes/scooters works out to:

However, you’ve got to remember that these are maximum running costs, and you are unlikely to spend an entire hour cruising at top speed, meaning your real-world running costs are likely to be much lower.

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About the author of this page

Bruce Pitchers is Canstar NZ’s Content Manager. An experienced finance reporter, he has three decades’ experience as a journalist and has worked for major media companies in Australia, the UK and NZ, including ACP, Are Media, Bauer Media Group, Fairfax, Pacific Magazines, News Corp and TVNZ. As a freelancer, he has worked for The Australian Financial Review, the NZ Financial Markets Authority and major banks and investment companies on both sides of the Tasman.
In his role at Canstar, he has been a regular commentator in the NZ media, including on the Driven, Stuff and One Roof websites, the NZ Herald, Radio NZ, and Newstalk ZB.
Away from Canstar, Bruce creates puzzles for magazines and newspapers, including Woman’s Day and New Idea. He is also the co-author of the murder-mystery puzzle book 5 Minute Murder.