VOL. 52 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY 18, 2015 P49
T
he American electric motorcycle (as op-
posed to scooter) industry is on the brink
of attaining critical mass. This is evident
by the unveiling last year of Harley-Davidson's
LiveWire concept E-cruiser and the revelation
in January that its Polaris rival had fully ac-
quired the No.2 E-bike manufacturer Brammo,
moving production of its range to the Spirit
Lake, Iowa, factory where its Indian and Vic-
tory bikes are made.
But both these industry giants have some
catching up to do with the global leader of the
E-bike sector, California-based Zero Motor-
cycles. The company reportedly doubled its
sales last year, though it remains coy about re-
vealing exactly how many bikes its 110-strong
workforce actually built at its constantly ex-
panding 69,000 sq.ft. factory in Santa Cruz,
California. Zero has succeeded in ramping up
its export operation to the point that sales are
evenly split between the USA and overseas,
BY ALAN CATHCART
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN WING
M P L I C I T Y
