Australian startup Savic Motorcycles has officially entered the road-ready electric motorbike market, delivering its first C-Series bikes to customers and launching a $12 million capital raise. With its sleek design, high-powered performance, and zero emissions, the 2024 C-Series is revving up as the nation’s first high-performance electric motorcycle, eyeing an ambitious trajectory toward global expansion and a future IPO.

Savic’s flagship 60kW Alpha model and the more affordable 40kW Delta model are not only Australian-made but designed to deliver a distinctly powerful experience, showcasing top-tier specifications that position them squarely within the premium electric vehicle (EV) landscape. With acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds and a riding range of over 200 km, the Alpha is proving to be a robust performer, while the Delta offers a 150 km range at a price point aimed at broadening access to electric bikes.

For founder and CEO Dennis Savic, this journey has been fuelled by a long-standing passion for both motorcycles and sustainability, dating back to his teenage years. “I remember being 14 years old and telling my school teacher that I wanted to build a motorbike in class, and he told me ‘You have to be an engineer to do that!’” Savic said, reflecting on his drive to create the nation’s first high-performance electric motorbike. The company began with Savic’s own childhood vision, progressing through several prototype phases and $5 million in initial seed funding. This capital injection has enabled the company to bring the C-Series to production, with pre-orders now stacking up and early deliveries rolling out.

Savic’s mission is clear: this is more than just another bike. The company is set on being a “distribution disrupter” and, in Dennis’s words, “more than just a bike company.” Following the lead of EV giants Tesla and BYD, Savic Motorcycles has adopted a direct-to-consumer model, allowing for close customer interaction and a stronger brand identity without traditional dealership constraints. Savic currently operates showrooms in Melbourne and Perth but is already making plans to expand its footprint globally, with international markets like the UK and Europe in its sights.

This first stage of the capital raise, expected to yield $2 million by year-end, will support the company in refining production efficiency and boosting gross margins. Savic then aims to raise an additional $10 million over the next 12 months to accelerate international expansion, all leading up to a $50 million initial public offering (IPO) targeted within a few years.

At $26,990 for the Alpha and $19,990 for the Delta, Savic’s pricing places these models as attainable within the premium market bracket. For the design-conscious, Savic promises a motorbike that combines style with longevity. “A big part of motorbikes is that people fall in love with how it looks, so we’ve really focused on a timeless style that doesn’t age,” Savic noted, emphasising the combination of aesthetic and engineering appeal.

The C-Series is packed with innovation under the hood, featuring a 16.2 kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers 200Nm of torque, a noteworthy feat in the electric motorcycle segment. With over 240 pre-orders already secured, the appeal seems broad, drawing interest from both seasoned petrol motorbike enthusiasts and environmentally-conscious commuters. “Many of our pre-orders are from customers who already have a petrol motorbike and want to add an electric one to their collection, or for those wanting to use them as a commuter vehicle but don’t want a scooter,” Savic said, reflecting the flexibility and broad appeal of the C-Series models.

While electric motorcycles are a relatively new concept in Australia, Savic Motorcycles is tapping into a shift in consumer mindset as the adoption of EV technology grows. With the sector for electric motorbikes expected to follow the upward trajectory of electric cars, the opportunity for local market growth is substantial, and Savic intends to ride this wave. According to Savic, the company’s 2026 goal is to manufacture between 500 and 1,000 more orders for the C-Series and ultimately scale to an annual production capacity of 5,000 bikes.

Savic Motorcycles stands alone in Australia as the only home-grown electric motorbike company to handle design, production, and sales in-house. Savic’s ambition is to refine the current bike platform and evolve it into more models that cater to various rider preferences. As the EV motorcycle market develops, the company plans to introduce new styles with the same electric power platform, allowing for model variety while maintaining the company’s core tech.

A significant focus for Savic is building out its distribution infrastructure, planning to “move beyond [our] existing showrooms in Melbourne and Perth,” and scale the direct-to-customer model globally over the next few years. “There’s definitely been a big lag in the market when it comes to electric motorcycles, but as more Australians become aware of EV technology, we see a huge opportunity for us,” Savic explained.

For investors, Savic Motorcycles represents a fascinating intersection of technology, design, and shifting consumer sentiment toward sustainability. With the IPO on the horizon and expansion plans underway, Savic’s home-grown electric bikes could soon become not just an Australian icon but a global one, making them a player to watch in the nascent electric motorbike market.

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CREDITS: Tech Invest