Electric bike maker gets $1 million grant from California
News release
Zero Motorcycles, the global leader in the electric motorcycle industry, announced today that it has been awarded a grant of $1,009,220 from the California Energy Commission (CEC). With matching commitment from Zero, over $2M in funding will be made available to drive the company’s continued research, development and assembly of 100% electric motorcycles at their California headquarters.
“We thrive at the intersection of transportation, technology and energy efficiency,” said Zero Motorcycles CEO Richard Walker. “This generous grant, combined with the confidence of our investors, accelerates our global growth, expands Zero’s local workforce and manufacturing capacity, and will fuel continued innovation across all of our products.”
Zero was founded in Santa Cruz in 2006 and has been pioneering electric motorcycles ever since. Each year, the model line has seen great advancements in performance, range, features and value. Zero motorcycles are proudly “Crafted in California” at the company’s Scotts Valley (Santa Cruz County) headquarters.
“It’s exciting to see Zero Motorcycles grow from a pilot production line we funded to an expanded manufacturing line through this latest grant,” said Janea A. Scott, lead commissioner on transportation for the California Energy Commission. “Transitioning from older, higher polluting vehicles to zero emission vehicles—ones with no tailpipe pollution—helps the state meet its clean air, climate, and petroleum reduction goals.”
The California Energy Commission is focused on promoting efficiency and conservation, supporting cutting-edge research, and developing California’s renewable energy resources. Zero is committed to using the CEC grant to expand its production capacity through improvements in its manufacturing line, production efficiency and engineering processes.
“We believe CEC funding is ideally suited for this kind of project as we leverage 21st century California clean-tech manufacturing,” said Kai Hypko, VP of Operations at Zero. “As electric vehicles continue to gain popularity, Zero Motorcycles helps reduce petroleum use, improve air quality and energy efficiency, all while creating more skilled jobs here in California.”
