August 2, 2007 4:00 AM PDT
A motorcycle that's fast, silent and green
- Related Stories
-
Zap to make electric sedan based on its sports car
June 22, 2007 -
Electric scooter to charge into U.S.
May 16, 2007 -
Tesla to open five dealer outlets
March 15, 2007 -
Revving up for the all-electric SUV
November 30, 2006
The Zero runs on lithium-ion batteries rather than gas. As a result, the engine doesn't make any noise. Before the safety bracelet, riders would dismount, forget they left the engine running, and send the bike on a ghost ride after accidentally twisting the throttle. The bracelet flips the key to the off position.
I handled the throttle with extreme caution on my test ride. I almost ran over Saiki, but that was due to driver incompetence. More on that later.
The Scotts Valley, Calif.-based company hopes to ride the growing interest in green vehicles with a line of electric two-wheelers. The company's first model, the Zero X for dirt bikes, can already be bought directly from the company for around $6,900. Google co-founder Larry Page bought one.
Video: Battery-run motorcycle speeds to 60 mph
CNET News.com's Michael Kanellos stops by to take a look at one of Zero Motorcycles' bikes and take it for a test drive.
In the next few months, Zero Motorcycles will try to come out with a street-legal commuter motorcycle that will be slightly larger and more powerful than the Zero X (along with having the lights and turn signals necessary for street riding). Later, it will follow with a scooter.
Several companies--including Tesla Motors, Zap, Phoenix Motorcars and Wrightspeed--have laid plans to deliver all-electric cars to the market. Tesla's is due later this fall.
But Motorcycles have drawn fewer entrants. Vectrix has released an all-electric scooter with nickel batteries that costs $11,000, and a few other companies have touted newer versions of the electric bike. Major manufacturers and venture capitalists, however, have not yet flocked to the field.
Zero executives, though, assert that motorcycles may be a better fit when it comes to battery-powered vehicles. At $6,900, the bike will be comparable with many 250cc gas-burning motorcycles.
"We're selling a bike that outperforms the ones with gas engines at the same price, and the price is going down," said acting CEO Damon Danielson.
The Zero X will only go 40 miles on a single charge, far less than a gas bike and less than the 70-mile Vectrix. Still, that's enough for most motocross drivers and street-bike commuters, and the street version will go farther. The average U.S. driver only goes about 25 miles to 30 miles a day, according to several studies.
The battery can be recharged in two hours. Motocross professionals also can buy a spare battery for $2,500.
Compare that to the commuter car coming from Think. The car will go about 100 miles on a charge, but it is expected to cost around $35,000 before the battery lease. Tesla will have a sedan in 2009 that will go about 200 miles, but these will cost probably close to $70,000. Electric cars take about three to five hours to fully charge.
Will a 40-mile motorcycle be accepted by consumers while $35,000 cars that have trouble doing a quick San Jose-San Francisco loop be rejected? No one knows, but Zero can at least claim it is eroding the price delta more rapidly than other electric vehicle vendors.
Approximately 1.1 million motorcycles are shipped to U.S. customers annually, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. Worldwide, motorcycle sales account for $45 billion in sales, according to Danielson.
Getting a bike certified for street riding is somewhat simple, Danielson added. For Zero to convert a motocross bike into a street machine only requires a few modifications, such as adding turn signals and lights. Safety certification and testing takes about 9 to 12 months and costs about $100,000, he said.
Testing a new car involves several crash tests and prototype testing, a process that can consume years and millions of dollars.
Transportation agency officials "figure with motorcycles, you are on your own," Saiki said.
Helicopters to cycles
Saiki has worked on various transportation problems for years. Among other projects, he headed up a group that built the DaVinci IV, a human-powered helicopter and a prop plane for NASA that reached 80,000 feet. He's also designed mountain bikes for, among others, Trek and Santa Cruz Cycles.
Like other electric vehicles, the key to the Zero is the battery pack. The lithium-ion cells in the battery come from a third-party manufacturer, which sells the same cells to the power tools industry. Zero, though, arranges the cells in a particular way to prevent runaway thermal reactions, the phenomenon that causes notebooks to explode. Saiki would not go into technical detail, but said patents are pending on the battery pack. If major manufacturers like Honda get into the market, Saiki said, Zero will likely try to market its battery to them.
See more CNET content tagged:
motorcycle,
mile,
battery,
engine,
car
What I see is the perception of being green. And like so many other things, there's little to no reality to back it up.
What problems are we really solving here? Motorcycles already get 35-40 MPG in the city and 65+ MPG on the highway. All of this just so Canadians can race indoors with really toxic batteries that must be recycled? Solution in search of a problem.
Oh and the reporter obviously doesn't ride. Riders love the engine & exhaust noises that their bikes make. Riders would never consider a silent whirring bike to be a plus.
vehicle is standing still, when an electric powered vehicle is not
moving it's engine stops as well. There is NO need for an electric
engine to be turning while the vehicle is stationary..!!
crawl, though? Didn't they teach you anything in engineering
school? Where's your creative spirit? Hook up to the Sun, the wind,
a wave, man. There's sooooo much energy in this universe that's
totally wasted (I'm betting your mind can be added to the total)
that harnessing even a small fraction of it converts into more
mechanical energy than we can ever use. Entropy, right? Maybe you
should have become an accountant...
I was surprised to read the comments afterwards though. The depth and breadth of ignorance out there is astounding. Of course, there are people out there who have done a little research and that's great.
I would like to let Mister C. know that his alma mater called. They would like their degree back.
sensors, just as cars do. In fact, both my Honda VFR and my
Suzuki SV 650 have a catalyc converter and an oxygen sensor.
Therefore, unless the owners tamper with them, motorcycles
probably polute less than cars.
Regarding noise and safety, I seriously question whether loud
pipes on a motorcycle increase safety. If bike owners really
expected that loud pipes would improve safety, they'd aim the
pipes forward to direct the noise where it would be most
effective. Headlight modulators, which flicker the headlight 4
times per second, improve safety by making the bike more
visible yet few bikes have them. Thus, one must wonder just
how many bikers are really concerned with safety.
I live in Texas and after much research on-line regarding alternate powered vehicles I came across the Zero. Being a rider and daily motorcycle commuter I was intrigued and made a point to check it out the when I was traveling in California.
PERFORMANCE:
The Zero is not perfect but it is dang close for a 1st generation machine. It is well engineered and well thought out.
The bike excels in its performance and handling. It is well balanced and has impressive braking and suspension.
And... it is an acceleration junkies dream! Electric motors have near instantaneous access to their full powerband. The Zero is the quickest 0 to 40 mph bike I've ever ridden. I nearly looped the bike twice trying to hit wide open throttle from a stand still. Eventually I got the knack.
Several performance characteristics such as throttle responsiveness and top speed are user programmable via a PC. You can really customize the bike to suit your riding preferences. One thing I realized right away was that you could alter the bike to suit a whole family's riding needs without needing multiple bikes.
There's a lot more I could write, but I was blown away by the performance. I race mini gp bikes here in Texas and they are "turtles" off the line compared to the Zero. I'd love to race it against the gas bikes. Even if I had to dial the motor down to a slower top speed I'd still be able to come out of the corners so much faster than anyone else.
I'm convinced that electric is the future and if you appreciate performance you should give it a look. You can Google for their web site.
PRICING
Most new 250 cc dirt bikes have an MSRP (about $6500) a little less than the Zero but there really is a lot less maintenance involved. No carb to worry about getting gummed up. No oil changes. I'm willing to pay a little more just for that. Less wrenching. More riding.
The battery packs are expensive but I believe these are designed so you can replace the individual cells when they go bad rather than chuck the entire battery. And like all things, technology and usage will drive the price of batteries down. And as battery technology improves you'll probably be able to upgrade.
And yes. I am saving up my money for a Zero.
- Some tips...
-
by angelfast
September 21, 2007 7:22 PM PDT
- Here are some tips on how you can buy and have a quality used car, so as you would not be replacing unnecessary parts along the way...Hope, this might help...
-
Reply to this comment
-
-
See all 75 Comments >>Tips & Warning
? As a final precaution, take the car to a mechanic, who should charge a reasonable fee to check over a used car. The seller should agree to this, but may require that you leave a deposit. If the seller won't let you take the car, offer to meet him or her at a mutually convenient garage.
? If you give the seller a deposit in order to take the car to have it checked, make sure to write out an agreement stating that the deposit will be returned immediately if you decide not to buy the car.
If the vehicle's mileage appears unusually low, have a mechanic determine whether someone has tampered with the odometer. If so, the seller must refund any money you have paid and may be liable for punitive damages under federal and state odometer laws?
This is how I acquire my car; I inspected all its auto parts from exterior and interior aspect down to its new vw beetle accessory and other accessories. By doing so, you could be sure of the quality of vehicle you are getting?=)