Today is a rather big day for Zero Motorcycles, as the company has signed its first East Asian distributor, Yuen Ho Trading Company, Ltd. (YHT), based in Hong Kong. To celebrate, the Hong Kong government has purchased 59 MY 2012 Zero S models, the single largest sale for Zero to date.
Zero Motorcycles is offering two new police-spec electric motorcycles for law enforcement agencies and security companies for 2013. The Santa Cruz, Calif., company has been supplying police versions of Zero DS in 2012 (following an initial trial in 2011 in Scotts Valley, Calif.) with but 2013, the company is adding a new model based on the Zero S.
The 2013 Zero S Police/Security joins the Zero DS Police/Security after Zero saw demand for a pure street-based police bike in addition to a dual sport model. Both models are based on the 2013 consumer versions, which Zero claims are 93% more powerful than the 2012 models with 62% more torque. Equipped with the ZF11.4 powerpack, Zero claims a combined highway and city range of 74 miles from the DS and a combined range of 102 miles for the S model. Both police models are available with the ZF8.5 powerpack which provides a claimed combined range of 69 miles for the DS and 77 miles for the S. Continue Reading »
Zero Motorcycles made a big splash at the 2012 Intermot show in Cologne, Germany, announcing a host of impressive updates. We’ll have a more in-depth look for you tomorrow, for now, here are the highlights:
Zero Motorcycles is issuing a recall on the 2012 Zero S and Zero DS after receiving numerous reports of sudden motor shut-downs. Zero attributes the problem to the encoder used to read the position of the motor.
According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the encoder position signal may drift beyond the limits of the motor controller, leading the controller to suddenly shut down the motor.
Since February this year, Zero received 13 reports of 2012 S models and DS models suddenly shutting down. At first, Zero believed the problem was caused by insufficient waterproofing of its battery management system, issuing a recall in July. Zero soon realized something else was going wrong, eventually isolating the problem to the motor/controller timing. A solution was put into place in June, but this later proved to be insufficient. Continue Reading »
Zero Motorcycles has announced its first ever limited edition model. Only 30 units of the 2012 Zero S ZF9 Limited Edition will be produced, though at the moment it appears they will only be offered in Europe.
The Limited Edition model was produced to celebrate the Zero S being named eMotorbike of the Year 2012 at Clean Week 2020 this May at Belgium’s Zolder circuit. The Zero S was selected for this honor by a panel of 12 European specialists. The Zero S was also named eMotorbike of the Year in 2011.
The Zero S ZF9 Limited Edition comes in graphite-colored fairing, tail, fenders and battery covers. Add-ons include a Corbin-designed seat, a front cowl with mini windscreen, a 12V accessory outlet, and Zero-branded Pro Grips. Each unit has an individually-numbered brushed aluminum plaque and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Continue Reading »
Zero is issuing its second recall in a week, this time for insufficient waterproofing for the battery management system on certain 2012 models. The recall comes after a recall on 2011 and 2012 models for the brake light switch. The second recall, related to the battery, is a much more serious one for the electric motorcycle manufacturer.
According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the battery management system printed circuit board has insufficient waterproofing on its connector pins. Under wet conditions, connector pins may short circuit, potentially causing a sudden drop in power, increasing the chance of a crash.
Zero first first received reports of a problem in March 2012 from a dealer after a 2012 Zero S inadvertently stopped running. The dealer replaced the battery management system under warranty with a new unit which corrected the problem. Zero then began an investigation for the cause. Continue Reading »
Zero is issuing a recall on certain 2011-2012 models due to a problem with the brake light switches. The recall applies to the 2011-12 Zero DS, Zero S and Zero XU, the 2012 Zero X and the street-legal versions of the 2011 Zero MX and Zero X.
According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the front brake lever travel is too broad, and as a result may not activate the brake light under moderate application of the front brakes.
As a result, motorists traveling behind a Zero rider may not see the brake light turn on as the rider tries to slow down, increasing the risk of a crash. Continue Reading »
Zero Motorcycles reported a 240% year-over-year growth in revenue over the first quarter of 2012 with a 178% increase in unit sales.
Specific numbers were not released, only saying it recently passed the milestone of 1,500 units delivered worldwide, but actual unit sales figures and revenues are still small in comparison to larger motorcycle manufacturers, but the growth is still positive news for Zero and the overall electric motorcycle segment.
“We are now in full production and accelerated growth mode. Yet we are still a small company and therefore we understand that significant increases are relatively easier for us than for larger OEMs,” says Karl Wharton, chief operating officer of Zero Motorcycles. “However, on any scale, it’s an impressive performance, arguably making Zero Motorcycles the fastest growing and largest premium brand electric motorcycle manufacturer in the world.” Continue Reading »
Zero Motorcycles recently celebrated the start of production for its 2012 model lineup, including the first electric motorcycles to claim a range over 100 miles.
The first 2012 Zero model off the line was the Zero DS dual sport, available with a 6 or 9 kWh Z-Force powerpack. The 9 kWh version claims a range of 112 miles by measure of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) testing.
Zero also claims a range of 62 km when traveling at a highway speed of 70 mph. The 6 kWh version claims a range of 76 mils by the UDDS standard, and 42 miles at highway speed. Zero also claims a top speed of 80 mph for the 2012 DS. The street-oriented 2012 Zero S offers slightly better range, claiming 114 miles for the 9 kWh pack and 76 miles for the 6 kWh version (63 miles/43 miles at 70 mph).
Zero Motorcycles initiated a recall campaign on some 2009-2010 Zero S and Zero DS motorcycles due to a problem with the front brake.
According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the front brake caliper brackets on the affected motorcycles may become deformed under high braking loads. A deformed bracket may prevent the brake pads from lining up properly with the rotor, reducing braking efficiency.
The problem was first reported in August 2010 by a journalist testing a 2010 Zero S. At the time, Zero determined the problem was caused by a shifted seal in the front brake master cylinder. Later that month, Zero received a warranty case on a Zero S regarding brake fade. In September 2010, Zero opened an internal investigation about brake fade concerns and alerted the brake manufacturer. In the ensuing months, Zero received further reports about brake problems and in February 2011, a dealer reported a bent brake caliper bracket on a 2009 Zero S. Zero completed its internal investigation in April 2011 and confirmed the bracket could experience deformation.
Zero dealers will replace the front brake caliper bracket on affected units with a newly designed component at no charge. Front brake pads may also be replaced if they show signs of abnormal wear. Dealers will also inspect the front brake fluid and flush the system and replace the fluid if they note signs of overheating.
The recall campaign affects 160 motorcycles including 2009 Zero S models built Sept. 2 2009 – Dec. 22, 2009, 2009 Zero DS models built July 27, 2009 – Dec. 28, 2009, 2010 Zero S models built Feb. 1, 2010 – March 31, 2011 and 2010 Zero DS models built Jan. 20, 2010 – March 31, 2011.
[Source: NHTSA]
