Zero raise the bar for electric motorcycles with longer range and faster charging in 2018 models

Zero Motorcycles is the global leader in electric motorcycles and powertrains. Designed and crafted by hand in California, Zero motorcycles combine Silicon Valley tech with traditional motorcycle soul to elevate the motorcycling experience for intelligent, innovative, riders around the world.

The company has just announced the release of its 2018 model range and once again Zero has raised the bar for all electric motorcycles by increasing battery capacity and range, and launching a new high-speed on-board charger option that increases charging speeds by 6X.

Zero has consistently produced the electric vehicle industry’s most energy and power dense battery packs and they have extended their leadership position again by boosting their Z-Force® battery’s energy capacity by more than 10%.

For 2018, Zero introduced three new batteries. The ZF14.4, ZF7.2, and ZF3.6 batteries offer more range and better performance than any two wheel electric vehicle currently on the market.

When equipped with the optional range extending ZF3.6 Power Tank, Zero models featuring the largest ZF14.4 battery offer 18 kWh of energy and the longest range of any two wheel EV on the market with a city range of up to 223 miles. Zero’s advanced lithium-ion batteries are maintenance free and backed by an industry leading five-year, unlimited mileage, warranty.

Every Zero motorcycle can be charged using the standard 110 V or 220 V wall outlets found all over the world. To give riders the ability to cover more ground in a single day, Zero launched a 6 kW Charge Tank that enables charging up to six times faster than when only using the standard charger.

The new Charge Tank is compatible with the extensive worldwide network of Level 2 EV charge stations. The new option is available on all Zero S, SR, DS, and DSR models. When combined with the standard charger, the new Charge Tank drops charge times for ZF7.2 models to one hour (0-95%), and reduces ZF14.4 models to about two hours.

“Zero’s new 6 kW Charge Tank allows riders to charge at speeds of up to 103 miles per hour of charging* at any of the growing number of over 14,000 Level 2 charging stations in the US or around the world.” said Zero Motorcycles CTO Abe Askenazi.

“This means riders can add 30 miles of ‘fuel’ in the time it takes to stop for a cup of coffee or fully recharge over lunch. This completely changes the utility of electric motorcycles by eliminating long recharging times.”

* Charging speed calculated using City range.

Other performance enhancements for 2018 include:

  • Zero models with the compact and lighter-weight ZF7.2 batteries offer 11% more rear wheel torque.
  • The ZF13.0 Zero S and Zero DS have been fine tuned to deliver up to 30% more power and torque to amp up acceleration at highway speeds.

“Zero continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the electric motorcycle space,” said Todd Andersen, Zero’s VP of Marketing, Sales and Aftersales. “Riders who’ve been waiting for more range and faster charging don’t have to wait any longer to go electric.”

The 2018 Zero S, SR, DS, DSR, and FX models look better than ever with bold and sophisticated new colors and graphics. From the Graphene Black Metallic with gold wheels of the Zero DSR to the Silicon Silver Metallic paint of the Zero S, the updated color palette delivers a stunning visual update to Zero’s line.

Zero invented the first mobile App that allowed riders to tailor their bike’s performance from their smartphone (available for iOS and Android) and this year they’ve taken it to another level. Firmware updates that used to require a trip to the dealer can now be easily performed directly from any compatible smartphone (available on 2017 and 2018 models).

This makes it easier than ever for owners to ensure their bike is using state-of-the-art firmware to deliver maximum performance in every condition.

Credit: Zero Motorcycles