Maker of electric motorbikes, Zero, has announced its new motorcycle lineup, expanding the company's electric motorbike offerings.
In particular, the company is releasing a new FXS lightweight supermoto-type bike, along with the DSR, which offers more power than the other bikes on the Zero lineup.
"The 2016 line is the culmination of a decade of experience and leverages what we do best: create electric powertrains that deliver a thrilling ride," said Abe Askenazi, chief technology officer for Zero Motorcycles.
The new set of bikes shows off the fact that Zero keeps improving its range and how much the company has grown over the past few years.
The DSR, for example, offers 25 percent more horsepower and as much as 56 percent more torque than the regular Zero DS, with that increase largely being due to the 660-watt motor controller. The base model of the bike costs $15,995, and has a range of around 70 miles when it's cruising at 70 miles per hour, or 147 miles in the city. A "Power Tank" option adds around 2.8 kWh of power storage and costs an extra $2,674, extending the range of the bike to 179 miles in the city and 86 at 70 miles per hour.
The other bike, the FXS, has 70 pounds of torque and as much as 44 horsepower, all in a body that's less than 300 pounds. The base model costs $8,495, which has a range of 45 miles in the city and 3.3 kWh. The 6.5 kWh model has a 90 mile range and costs $10,990.
Both of the motorbikes feature Zero's new Z-Force motor, which, according to Zero, produces [pdf] more power more efficiently, basically extending the range and allowing riders to ride at higher speeds.
Zero asserts that its Z-Force powertrain system "boasts the highest energy density in the electric vehicle industry."
Not only that, but Zero is also introducing its J1772 charging port in the new Charge Tank accessory. This is the same charging system used by Tesla and is known in the industry as Level 2 charging. Not only that, but the new tank will also speed up charging, allowing users to charge the tank in around two or three hours, down from eight.
All of the new bikes will be available starting in November.
