Zero X: The 100% Electric Dirt Bike
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 08. 2.07
The Zero X is a silent, all-electric dirt bike that runs on lithium-ion batteries instead of gas. The the California-based Zero Motorcycles has started selling these bikes for $6900. Google co-founder Larry Page bought one. The company also has a street-legal commuter bike in the works, which should be released in the coming months. This bike will be slightly larger and more powerful than the Zero X. The commuter version will be a competitor to Brammo Motorsports' commuter bike, the Enertia which sells for $11,995. (See our previous story on this bike.)
CNET reports:
The Zero X has a range of 40 miles on a single charge. The battery can be recharged in two hours. That's enough for most motocross drivers and street-bike commuters, and the street version will go farther. The average U.S. driver only goes about 25 miles to 30 miles a day, according to several studies.
"We're selling a bike that outperforms the ones with gas engines at the same price, and the price is going down," said acting Zero Motorcycles CEO Damon Danielson.
:: Via CNET
I'd like to see more Electric off road vehicles. For one thing there are pretty much no emmission standards on the gas powered ones.
Through high school one of my choirs was driving the 4 wheeler around the farm making sure the livestock didn't gtet out an electric atv would work perfect there. now my parents have a John Deer gator for the farm, an electric one would have been nice.
The only problem I see if everyone using Lithium Ion batteries so your fordec to spend half the price of the product every couple years buying a new battery pack where they could have used a more stable technology like NiMH and gotten 10 years or more life out of the batteries.
Still, neat to see someone making a foray into the market. I expect they looked at longer-life batteries and rejected them for some reason.
this is the most amazing dirt bike ever I WANT IT!!!
Hey Eugene, for a tough off-road 4x4 electric vehicle, check out the Bad Boy Buggy, www.badboybuggies.com
Do we see this bike comming on the market any time soon
The reason they chose Lithium-ion instead of NiMH is because Lithium-ion is much lighter and is more powerful on an energy to weight ratio.
well its a really sweet ride being quiet i bet, but it seems like it would cost to much more than a gas dirt bike, you would also have to find time to recharge it and also you would have to buy a new battery for when it dies in like three or five years.