The feature that really separates the S5 GPS from other electric trolleys is in the name, as this is the world's first trolley to offer GPS. Motocaddy has collaborated with GPS specialists Sureshot to create the new feature, which is built into the trolley handle and comes with a full-colour display. The remote handset for the trolley has a USB connection so it can download course information from a computer with ease, and then at the press of a button, the handset wirelessly uploads the information into the trolley.
"We have worked very hard to make sure it is very easy to get the data in and out of the S5 trolley," says Brown. It was the final perfections to the wireless transfer of information that has delayed the delivery of the S5 to retail this year, although the extra time has given Motocaddy the chance to develop the handset into a security key, which is another industry first.
"We have also made the remote a security key, so it works a bit like the key to a car," explains Brown. "The trolley won't do a thing unless you press a key on the remote. If a golfer is in the clubhouse with the key, and someone steals his trolley, it would be completely redundant without the key. Each key is also unique to the trolley - no two keys are ever the same. It's a great feature and it has never been offered on a golf trolley before. Thieves will soon learn that there is no point nicking a Motocaddy S5."
S5 owners will need to register their details online to use the GPS, and in an extension of the security provision, if they happen to lose the handset, the replacement handset would only be sent to the registered address.
"This is a great example of how we are being innovative, and bringing new technology to the market," adds Brown. "The S5 is an incredibly exciting product and we believe it is going to elevate the brand to the next level."
By the next level, Brown means becoming the number one trolley brand worldwide, which means overtaking the long-established market leader, PowaKaddy.
"A lot of companies in the golf industry are pretty flat right now but we are in our fifth year as a company and we are growing like the clappers," claims Brown. "We have grown from nothing to a position where we expect to sell around 30,000 trolleys this year. If we do that we believe it will put us in the pre-eminent position in Europe in terms of unit sales.
"Our financial year starts at the beginning of October, and so far we are 30% up on last year. We expect the S5 to really catapult our figures so we will hopefully finish 30 or 40% up on last year."
Motocaddy's biggest seller remains its entry level electric trolley, the S1 (RRP £289), which accounts for about 60% of sales, with the S3 (£369) making up the remaining 40% at present. While the S5 (£599) may take away some potential buyers from the S3, Brown's hope is that Motocaddy will be tapping into a new sector at the top end of the market.
