The next time you see someone wearing motorcycle helmet decals identifying him or her as a police officer, look at their bike. It is quite likely, especially if you are in California, that they will be riding motorcycle made by Zero Motorcycles. These bikes are green vehicles that give off zero emissions.
Zero Motorcycles began, as many companies do, in a garage in Santa Cruz. However, the company set out with a specific plan to set themselves apart from other bikes: build high-performance electric bikes that could match or even outdo traditional, gasoline-powered motorcycles in almost every category. They quickly caught the attention of several police departments, including the Scotts Valley Police Department and the Clovis Police Department. Both have added several Zero Motorcycles to their fleet and are gradually transitioning all of their motorcycles over to green bikes.
These motorcycles are fairly inexpensive (Clovis purchased five of them for $95,000), very reliable, and are powered solely by renewable energy. While range is still a concern, for police officers who patrol within a certain range and charge their bikes regularly, it is not an issue. The Zero Motorcycles, current charge provides them with the equivalent of more than 440 miles per gallon in the city and almost 200 on the highway. That works out to a cost of about a dollar of power for every 200 miles.
The model offered to the police departments the Zero SP police bike. It features an additional power tank for more energy plus a quick charger that can reduce charging time. The model also features regenerative braking then helps add a little charge to the battery every time the driver applies the breaks. The engine in the Zero SP can produce more than 50hp, and the bikes have a maximum speed upwards of 95 miles per hour.
Officers from the two police departments have given the Zero SP bikes rave reviews, and many other departments have stated that they are interested in making the switch to green motorcycles.
