Australian Electric Motor Co Managing Director Tobin Page in on a mission to reduce vehicle emissions around the country by increasing the supply of two-wheeled electric vehicles.

And it appears Page is on the right track, opening the nation’s first dedicated electric motorcycle distributor in 2020 which imports, markets and distributes the best electric motorcycles in the world into the country.

“When I sold my Tech business in Sydney I wanted to do something completely different to that industry. I wanted to contribute to the solution in terms of climate change, not bury my head in the sand,” Page said.

“I’m passionate about motorcycles and lowering emissions so this seemed like the perfect company to start.

“Motorcycles by their nature are more energy efficient than most vehicles and they’re better for congestion. That’s why we’re passionate about increasing their uptake here.

“We sell the best premium electric motorcycles from around the world. They have the largest range, the most reliable technology and the fastest battery charging capabilities.”

Australian Electric Motor Co Managing Director Tobin Page

Those in the market for an electric motorcycle can currently buy one starting from $45,000 to as much as $80,000 for a full racing MotorE replica.

However, Australian Electric Motor Co is poised to finalise a distribution deal in which bikes will start from $20,000.

“In this economy it is important that we can address other market segments and also help a new generation of riders, who don’t have the means to buy top end products, get into the market,” Page said.

And demand for their product is on an upward spiral.

“We’ve managed to get two distribution agreements in place with the best electric motorcycle manufacturer in the world and the most promising new entrant into the market,” he said.

“Sales have doubled each year of operation and we can see electric vehicle adoption growing rapidly in Australia like it has done in the UK.

“In 2022 electric motorcycles and scooters accounted for five per cent of all sales in the UK market which was up 40 per cent year-on-year.  We are expecting similar growth levels in Australia over the next three years as we are already seeing with electric cars.

“A slowing economy may slow that growth temporarily but we don’t see the overall patterns changing in the long run. Especially with many markets earmarking the banning of petrol motorcycles sales in 2035.”

Stealth Grey electric motorcycle. Photo by Marcello Mannoni

Page said demand for electric motorcycles has been strong by “early adopters”.

“Now we’re trying to capture a new market segment which is converting die-hard petrol motorcycle fans to electric. There is a lot of education, demo days, marketing involved and it’s a longer-term investment but we’re already starting to see some positive results,” he said.

“There is demand from all over Australia. New South Wales, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have progressive EV incentives – such as no stamp duty, lower registration fees and rebates – which has made the bikes more popular in those regions.

“Generally speaking our bikes have so far appealed to male riders over the age of 40 who already own premium motorcycles like Ducatis, BMWs, etc.

“We are also seeing a strong correlation between our bikes and Teslas. A high proportion of our customers are Tesla owners – Tesla does a great job of making EVs easy to use which makes those owners want to use other EVs like electric motorcycles.”

Australian Electric Motor Co Speed Shop

Page said five per cent of all motorcycle and scooter sales in the UK were electric in 2022 and the demand for electric vehicles in Australia was projected to grow from two per cent in 2021 to seven per cent this year.

“Most developed regions have committed to zero new petrol vehicles sales by 2035 so this rapid adoption growth needs to continue to reach those targets,” he said.

“We really hope the Australian Federal Government delivers on its election promises and helps the supply and adoption of EVs in Australia with incentives and rebates. It’s a developing technology that needs support.

“Look at what the US government did with Tesla and now it’s the biggest car company in the world which didn’t exist 15 years ago. That sort of forward thinking is what we need.”

For Page, whose multi-million dollar business also exports to New Zealand, doing business on the Gold Coast is a no brainer.

“There’s great riding on our doorstep, an abundance of solar power, low costs of running a business versus Sydney or Melbourne, a large motorcycle community and a supportive local council,” he said.

“The City of Gold Coast Business Attraction Fund helped fund this business. We licensed a similar business from the UK so we could fast track our company growth and success. The City of Gold Coast helped us with this deal and supported our investment into setting up the business and growing it.

“Our future plans are to bring more of the best electric motorcycles to Australia and potentially look to franchise our operation into other states and countries.”