ROAD NEWS

Kiwi automotive start-up FTN Motion is set to offer a more powerful version of their innovative Street Dog , the firm has announced it is welcoming two giants of the tech ’ world into the family . Joining the FTN Motion team is Dyson ’ s former CEO , Roland Krueger , who joins as an advisor and shareholder alongside Jamie France , who most recently led Engineering , Production and Launch for the Electron rocket at space exploration company Rocket Lab . FTN Motion was founded in 2020 by Luke Sinclair , Kendall Bristow , and Saskia Thornton to disrupt commuting with their electric motorcycle the Streetdog . Earlier this year , they moved to a purpose-built facility in Hamilton to scale for exports to Australia and beyond . In just three weeks from its announcement , more than 50 customers on both sides of the Tasman have reserved their StreetDog80 - FTN Motions first non-moped class offering - with deliveries expected to start from the end of 2024 . FTN Motion is the first New Zealand-based company Krueger has backed . He discovered FTN through New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and has followed its progress for some time . Before Dyson , he had a long career in the automotive industry and has remained deeply passionate about it , “ The Streetdog is brilliant in its simplicity ,” he says . “ The way the Streetdog ’ s storage is integrated into the body of the bike is one of those ideas so perfectly simple , you wonder why no one else thought of it before . “ It ’ s a great idea that builds on the heritage of pure motorcycle design and combines it with the latest EV technology , allowing a new transport method . With the Streetdog , FTN has huge potential and a real chance of becoming an iconic brand , ” he says . Jamie France joined Rocket Lab in 2014 when it was still a start-up . Now the Head of

Manufacturing and Supply Chain at Fleet Space Technologies , he says Streetdog ’ s fusion of build quality , clever engineering and style impressed him from the start . “ As New Zealanders we all resonate with the John Britten and Burt Munro stories of creative inventors , taking on the world and showing what can be done with fresh thinking , determination and excellent engineering . “ The bikes that FTN make transform a customer ’ s daily commute into the most enjoyable part of their day - bringing that experience to new international locations is an awesome opportunity ,” he says . Luke Sinclair , FTN Motion ’ s co-founder , says both Krueger and France bring invaluable experience from production and engineering perspectives . “ We ’ re stoked to have them join as we ramp up our plans to export , beginning with Australia . They get the vision and most critically , understand the supply chain , quality control and cashflow challenges unique to a manufacturing company with a technically complex product ,’’ he says .

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