Zero Motorcycles announced on Tuesday a new lineup of electric vehicles with more power, torque, and range than ever before. Now, instead of having to charge a battery-powered motorcycle after a few miles, people can drive between 100 and 200 miles on a single charge. Forget electric cars and SUVs — it’s time to consider one of these bikes.
Electric vehicles are no strangers to anxieties over performance and range. People want to know that their (often expensive) battery-powered transportation won’t be slower or less convenient to take for a drive than their gasoline-reliant counterparts.
That’s why Zero Motorcycles introduced this new lineup. These products have up to 11 percent more power, 19 percent more torque, and some can use an optional add-on to boost their range to 100 miles on the highway and 200 miles in the city. The result: A ride that doesn’t have to stay quite as close to its charger.
Zero Motorcycles also made it easier for people to upgrade the firmware on their electric vehicles. Now they can use their phones to install new software and customize their motorcycle’s performance. These bikes, like Tesla’s Model X before them, are as much a product of their software updates as they are the sum of their hardware upgrades.
The motorcycles could also benefit from the rise of autonomous cars. These vehicles can notice motorcyclists better than human drivers, which could result in more people biking because they don’t have to worry as much about their safety.
All of which makes this new lineup from Zero Motorcycles part of the broader trends in transportation. They rely on electricity, use software to modify a traditionally hardware-driven experience, and will likely grow more popular alongside self-driving cars. While they aren’t as futuristic as BMW’s concept motorcycle, they’re still a glimpse at the future.
The future doesn’t come cheap — prices range between $8,500 and $14,400; the Power Tank that enables the 200-mile city range costs an additional $2,700. But those prices are likely to fall over time, and electric vehicles are often costly investments. The lineup arrives at Zero Motorcycles dealerships this November.
