Possibly the most successful of the current crop of
electric motorcycle (e-bike) manufacturers is Zero Motorcycles, who have
promised major updates to their e-bike range in 2018, foremost amongst which is
six times faster charging and an increase in range to 358 kms. Also on the
cards for 2018 is a Power Tank for added range, as well as the Zero Motorcycles
app for connectivity to your e-bike.
The biggest drawback for e-bikes is range, and Zero
now claims a 10% improvement in its battery packs, the ZF14.4, ZF7.2 and ZF3.6.
Combining the ZF14.4 lithium-ion battery with the 3.6 kWh Power Tank gives any
2014 or later Zero e-bike a theoretical 358 km range for city riding, or 180 km
on the highway.
Charging time for Zero e-bikes has also been
reduced, with its Charge Tank on the 2018 Zero S and Zero DS models that
delivers a 95% battery charge in an hour. Using the J1772 EV standard, the
Charge Tank is compatible with Level 2 (220 V) public and home charging
stations.
For customising the performance and battery range of
the Zero e-bike, the Zero Motorcycles app allows the rider to obtain real time
readings on battery capacity and range. In addition, the rider can “tune” the
performance of the electric motor between performance and range.
The current model range of Zero Motorcycles includes
the Zero S and SR naked street bikes, the Zero DS and DSR which are scrambler
styled, the Zero FX off-roader and FXS motard.
