Electric motorcycle manufacturer UBCO has reportedly gone bankrupt, meaning it’s potentially the end of the line for one of the more interesting battery bike builders—and maybe a case of revenge from beyond the grave.

As far as electric motorcycles go, UBCO had a more interesting story than most. Based in New Zealand, UBCO was focused on practical machines for farm chores, backcountry hunting and fishing and… mail delivery. In August of 2024, UBCO had announced a deal with Australia Post. Instead of the classic Honda CT110 postie bike, Australia Post has been moving to EVs, and the UBCO Duty battery bike was slated to enter the Aussie mail delivery lineup in coming months.

Now, it looks like that plan is going to get more complicated; the bikes have been delivered, reportedly, but UBCO has gone bust. According to reports out of Kiwiland, UBCO is now in receivership, with Grant Thornton in control of the company as its financial woes are sorted out.

The problem, as always with electric motorcycle manufacturers when they fail, is an inability to make enough money to pay its bills while the business grows. You need a lot of money to stay afloat as supply chains are worked out, designs are finessed and ultimately, sales deals are made.

UBCO is just the latest in a long list of electric motorcycle startups with interesting plans but ultimately, no long-term staying power. The established players like the Japanese Big Four are still the big bosses of the moto world even as it transfers to battery power. The smaller EV makers just can’t compete with their critical mass… or maybe the Honda CT110 reached out from beyond the grave to curse UBCO’s planned takeover in Australia? The battery bike makers had talked of selling 10,000 electric motorcycles to the Aussie government, but that seems impossible now.