Zero Motorcycles nabs EPA Certificate of Conformity, gets rated at 455 mpg
Zero Motorcycles DS - Click above for high-res image gallery
We still think it's a wee bit odd that electric motorcycles need a Certificate of Conformity from the Environmental Protection Agency, but that is indeed the case and Zero Motorcycles has issued a press release indicating that its two-wheeled highway-speed EVs now satisfy that requirement. For what its worth, the EPA says the Zero S and DS achieve an equivalent of 455 MPG and generate zero grams of carbon emissions per mile.
Further, Zero's products have garnered passing grades for both the Canadian and US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Perhaps the real news here is that this certification now allows Zero buyers to qualify for a ten percent Federal tax credit and the state sales tax credit established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Add it all up and the final price for either the Zero S or its off-road-ready DS sibling will be $8,995 for customers living in the States. Those who don't qualify for the U.S. savings will pay $9,950. Hit the jump for the official press release.
Gallery: Zero Motorcycles Zero DS
[Source: Zero Motorcycles]
PRESS RELEASE:
Zero Motorcycles Leads the Industry: First to Pass National EPA Certification and to Meet US and Canadian Safety Standards
- Zero's All-Electric Motorcycle Achieves Equivalent of 455 MPG -
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Zero Motorcycles today announced that it is the first and only electric motorcycle company to achieve three major milestones. They have passed both the US and Canadian safety standards and attained a 'Certificate of Conformity' from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As a result, buyers of the Zero S and Zero DS can now benefit from major government incentives. They can also feel confident in the motorcycles' superior engineering and environmental benefits. Under the proposed EPA regulations issued on Sept 15, 2009, the Zero S and DS achieve an equivalent of 455 MPG and generate zero grams of CO2 per mile.
"We are extremely pleased to be the first electric motorcycle company to have completed these rigorous testing programs," said Gene Banman, CEO of Zero Motorcycles. "Passing these tests allows our customers to save money while also giving them confidence in the design and safety of our motorcycles."
The Zero S is a fully electric motorcycle that is built from the ground up around its revolutionary drivetrain technology. It is a street legal supermoto motorcycle that is designed for urban riding. The Zero DS is the dual sport version of the Zero S and can be ridden on anything from city streets to dirt trails. While performance usually comes at an environmental cost, the Zero S and DS are enticing to even the most environmentally conscious consumers. The motorcycles are not only zero emissions vehicles; they are also completely non-toxic and almost 100% recyclable. This unique combination of performance and low overall environmental impact sets a new high standard in the industry.
Completion of the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) along with the US EPA Certificate of Conformity means that the Zero S and DS meet all the requirements for newly created Federal tax credits on street legal electric motorcycles. It allows buyers to receive the 10% Federal tax credit and the state sales tax credit established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The fully homologated and government certified Zero S and DS are available for purchase exclusively through Zero Motorcycles' website. They are priced at $9,950 and for US customers this means a post Federal tax credit price of $8,955. For more information on these electric motorcycles visit:
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/
Zero Motorcycles first entered the motorcycle industry in 2006 with the fully electric Drift. In 2008 it launched the Zero X, which exceeded all expectations by selling out before the year's end. Its success blazed the path for the long awaited launch of the street legal Zero S in 2009. Earlier this summer Zero Motorcycles announced the Zero MX and the Zero DS. The Zero MX is made specifically for dirt track riding and motocross. The Zero DS, a dual sport, is their most recent model and can be ridden on any surface from a city street to a gravel road or dirt trail.
For more about Zero Motorcycles, visit http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mark Kiernan 1:16PM (10/13/2009)
I contacted them about their prices. In the US the price is 9,000 USD, but in Europe it is 9,000 EUR. I don't understand they correlation, as 9,000 EUR is 13,000 USD no fair. :(
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Phil L. 4:07PM (10/13/2009)
You'll see similar disparities in any other vehicle you care to look at.
You can't use currency conversion to compare vehicle prices in different markets. There are many other factors at work.
Travis 1:20PM (10/13/2009)
Awesome work Zero!!! 455miles to the gallon equivalent.... and you can "fill up" anywhere there's a plug... Makes the 60-70mpg of a normal motorcycle pale in comparison.....
jesus that's a huge number....
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Epyx 1:49PM (10/13/2009)
So it has at least 455 mile range right?
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meme 1:53PM (10/13/2009)
Yep -- and it takes a gallon of electricity to get you that far.
David Herron 2:10PM (10/13/2009)
Uh, what makes you think that 455 mpg means it has to have a 455 mile range? It simply means that the energy equivalency of the electricity usage equates to 455 mpg. This 'news' is from last week and I had already reported it (The Zero S motorcycle is certified to get 455 miles/gallon equivalent) and learned from Zero that this claim is based on an EPA proposed regulations change. The formula is 33.705 kwh equals to a gallon of gasoline (per Jamie Barber of Zero Motorcycles).
Epyx 4:32PM (10/13/2009)
Because this was the same crap we heard all day on this site about the Volt's equally stupid 230mpg claim.
Using MPG with an electric vehicle is completely retarded and intentionally misleading at best.
Epyx 4:51PM (10/13/2009)
So it has a 455 MPG rating with the equivalent tank size of ~.13 gallons? 60mile range /455 fuel equivalent.
jake 1:33AM (10/14/2009)
Since the battery has 4kWh of capacity and a gallon of gas has 33.705kWh of energy (according to DOE formula), 4/33.705 = ~0.12 gallons of gas.
The Zero S has up to 50 miles of range according to their site so 50/455 mpg = ~0.11 gallons of gas. So it's about right.
Keep in mind energy density of batteries are very low (as the above shows). The electric motor makes up for it by being very efficient. The Tesla Roadster's 900lbs (53kWh) worth of batteries has only the energy equivalent of 1.57 gallons of gasoline, yet it can travel ~200 miles when using the full capacity.
http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-s-specs.php
Brammofan 2:00PM (10/13/2009)
The EPA certificate of conformity does not include the "mpg" rating. It is just a certificate required by the EPA indicating that the vehicle conforms to a class of vehicles and does not exceed certain emission standards. To get the 455 mpg figure, Zero applied formulas it found in the September 15 proposed rules. Those rules only apply to vehicles with 4 wheels, as far as I know.
In addition, the 0g of CO2 per mile may be true about the actual emissions of the bike, but it ignores the concept of the "long tail pipe," given that a majority of electricity produced in the U.S. comes from coal-fired plants. I wish all of the EV manufacturers would just admit that and THEN say that the CO2 emissions are substantially less than an ICE vehicle. High "e-Mileage" claims and emissions claims that aren't based in reality do nothing to help EVs become a reality.
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Mark Kiernan 2:48PM (10/13/2009)
Same crap different poster. When will this BS from the anti-EV shower of p*icks end?
I have posted a link but I doubt you will even bother to read up about the efficiency rates of EVs to ICEs or the fact that EVs can be powered by solar sources.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_conversion_efficiency
nrb 2:49PM (10/13/2009)
If what you say in the first paragraph is true, a lawsuit needs to be filed against these companies making outrageous claims. Especially those attaching an EPA label the claims.
Of course it probably wouldn't matter if places like ABG didn't repeat the BS.
Brammofan 3:06PM (10/13/2009)
Mark, I'm not sure where you got the idea that I was anti-EV. I agree that electric motors are much more efficient than ICEs. And sure, EVs can be powered by solar sources. And, I'll add, wind sources. If those sources provided the electricity then yes, you're at 0g of CO2. How many U.S. citizens get their electricity from renewable sources?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_power_in_the_United_States
Even if you did re-charge from coal-sourced electricity, you're still doing the planet a favor. My point is more subtle than that. I would appreciate more of the EV manufacturers including the real world figures so that their claims don't immediately get shot down by the anti-EV people with the CO2 information about fossil-fuel fired power plants.
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Mark Kiernan 3:22PM (10/13/2009)
Sorry Brammofan, I didn't mean to attack you. Just sometimes there are people posting here who are anti-EV.
I agree, it is a little misleading to say that a car is zero emission when the energy can come from coal, but when automakers in Europe say that cars produce 100g/km of CO2 they don't include the shipping or production of the oil, so I think there is a level playing field.
kert 4:39PM (10/13/2009)
So, what are the EPA certificed highway and city range figures ?
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Steve 9:02PM (10/13/2009)
I think the EV community needs to petition the EPA to correctly rate all electric vehicles NOT in MPG but in MPC Miles per Charge or similar. The misleading number on ev's Zero, Tesla, etc. will be the death of these companies once one idiot tries to drive 455 miles on a charge.
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Tim W, 3:16PM (10/16/2009)
Miles Per Charge is meaningless. It will vary by battery chemistry, and size of the battery pack. It would be the same as listing "Miles per tank of gas" instead of MPG to measure car efficiency.
Miles per kWh (higher is better) or Wh per mile (lower is better) would be a more accurate analog to MPG -- A measure of efficiency of the vehicle, not a measure of how much energy it can store.