Cutting edge technology and Kiwi innovation isn’t only found in the big cities – one small South Waikato town is leading the way in the creation and sale of electric motorbikes.
When Tokoroa local Tazmin Lowen, 28, suffered a life-changing accident at work in 2019, he was forced to re-evaluate his life. Waking up in hospital after being almost fatally gassed by chlorine, Lowen reflected on his passions and what he wanted to get out of his work. He narrowed it down to a few key points: it had to be environmentally friendly, innovative, and preferably involving his love for motorbikes.
Electric motorbikes weren’t available in New Zealand before Lowen started tinkering with them in his own shed, eventually developing his first fully-fledged e-bike in 2019. He started his e-bike business, Lowen Tech, off the back of this. Sur Ron, one of the largest e-bike companies in the world, found out about Lowen Tech’s work through his website and purchased the bike from him, at the same time commissioning him for more work on making custom e-bike parts.
Lowen Tech quickly started gaining speed, and was commissioned by Boyd Motorcycles (Hamilton) and Traction Motorcycles (Christchurch) for as many as 20 bikes at a time. Since Covid-19 hit New Zealand, shipping delays have slowed his business down, but the keen interest remains.
Initially, Lowen says his petrol-loving friends thought he was crazy. “They didn’t understand e-bikes or why I’d possibly want to make or ride one. They definitely didn’t have that ‘cool’ reputation that regular motorbikes traditionally do,” he says. Before too long, though, Lowen had his friends convinced that e-bikes were the way of the future – primarily because of their performance. The instant torque and pure fun that can be achieved in e-bikes is incomparable, he says, coupled with the fact that they’re zero-emissions vehicles. Maintenance of the bikes is also easier, as they contain fewer moving parts, and are cheaper to run at just 20c to charge per 70km. Originally from Arapuni, another small town in the South Waikato, Lowen’s move to set his business up in Tokoroa was a logical step considering the town’s central location, strong road links to bigger cities, spaciousness for his workshop, and supportive local community. Tokoroa is also home to the South Waikato Motorcycle Club. The next steps for Lowen Tech are growing the business through employing more locals, creating more jobs within the
Tokoroa community.
Lowen is in the process of applying for iwi grants to complete tertiary business courses, which he hopes will translate into accessing sales from bigger, overseas corporations. He’s also in talks with the South Waikato District Council about the potential for e-bike tours through Tokoroa’s forests as a tourist activity.
