California Autos Examiner

Friday, August 22, 2008

Electric Motorcycle Hits the Trails



Sure there is the electric Vectrix scooter, but let's say you wanted to go off road and still be green. How about this Zero X from Santa Cruz, CA based Zero Motorcycles? The bike is lightweight, tipping the scales at 140 pounds, and has a battery that can last up to two hours. The bike's 23hp motor will slingshot you from 0-30 in under two seconds and top out at around 60mph. The Zero X does not have regenerative braking, but rather scrubs off speed via front and rear hydraulic disc brakes. Zero's custom designed lithium-ion battery should theoretically last five to six years is supposedly landfill ready, containing no toxic metals such as cobalt, nickel, lead or mercury. The list price of the bike is $7,450 plus $300 shipping (web orders only) and an extra battery pack is a pricey $2,950.

I love the idea of an instant torque, lightweight off-road bike. According to the company's owner, a lot of the buyers have been motocross riders (he's sold 127 so far), so that speaks to the credibility of the design. Zero is planning to offer a street bike with a top speed of 70mph and a range of 60 miles sometime next year with an estimated cost of $9,000. Click here to find out more about Zero Motorcycles.


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