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| ELECTRICS / HYBRIDS: - Zero power: Scotts Valley electric motorcycle company generating a buzz[img]http://tinyurl.com/nn3urk[/img]; PIWYR NEWS: - ''"I think it will almost be all electric motorcycles in about 20 years, because..'' | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Tuesday, 13. October 2009, 14:38 (212 Views) | |
| Post #1 Tuesday, 13. October 2009, 14:38 |
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Zero power: Scotts Valley electric motorcycle company generating a buzz SCOTTS VALLEY -- If Neal Saiki has his way, the easy-riding days of driving big, bad, gas-powered hogs are numbered. The Scotts Valley native is hoping to popularize his vision for revolutionizing the transportation industry: electric motorcycles. Saiki is the founder of Zero Motorcycles, the first American company to mass produce electric motorcycles. With manufacturing plants in Scotts Valley and Germany, the company hopes to make its bikes more common and accessible to the world. "I think it will almost be all electric motorcycles in about 20 years, because it doesn't really make sense; gasoline is such an inefficient use of power," Saiki said. Zero has been manufacturing electric motorcycles since 2006, and has 800 bikes touching tire to pavement across the globe. Government efforts to wean America off a dependence on foreign oil combined with the recent push to promote green business have turned Zero into a household name in the eco-conscious transportation industry. This week the company will have its products featured on the Sundance Channel's TV show "Big Ideas for a Small Planet." The episode will air locally at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Saiki, 43, founded Zero after spending time developing mountain bikes for Santa Cruz Bicycles and working with NASA 20 years ago on transportation issues. He said even then, the eventual transition from gas to electric was apparent. "It was really clear that electric vehicles by far made the most sense, it's just next the next revolution in transportation," Saiki said. But many of the issues that prevented electric transportation from being more prevalent decades ago are still in play today, like the lack of accessible technology for designing affordable consumer products. A Zero off-road motorcycle starts at $7,500 and street version begins for $10,000. Gas motorcycles start around the same price, but the cost to drive a Zero is low enough that Saiki hopes it will persuade those in the motorcycle market to elect electric. According to Saiki, Zero motorcycles cost roughly $40 a year in electricity to charge -- the cost equivalent of nearly 400 mpg for gas-powered motorcycles. There are also financial incentives for those who buy electric motorcycles. Saiki said the federal government offers a 10 percent rebate on the purchase price to people who buy his product, and next year the California Air Resources Board will give a $1,500 rebate to electric motorcycle buyers. Those who buy an electric motorcycle must be prepared to sacrifice one of the rights of passage of biker culture: long uninterrupted road trips. Zero bikes need about four hours to fully charge, which can be done by plugging them into household outlets. Each charge provides about two hours of running time. The average commute on an electric motorcycle is 40 minutes, said Saiki. Some of the other perks that he enjoys about Zero's product, like how quiet they run, are the same things that prevents some familiar with gas-powered motorcycles from making the transition to electric, Saiki said. "It's not for everyone, some people really miss the noise," Saiki said. "But there are plenty of people that want a different kind of riding experience. It's great. It's really kind of peaceful and quiet. You can really enjoy your environment." |
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