Zero Motorcycles and Hero nearing new lower cost electric motorcycle
As part of Zero Motorcycles’ new approach to affordability, the California electric motorcycle maker is increasingly relying on strategic partnerships in the industry to help lower costs and leverage production experience. Now we’re getting word that one of the company’s key partners, Hero MotoCorp, is closing in on its first Zero-enabled electric motorcycle model.
It’s giving a whole new meaning to “from Zero to Hero.”
Last year, Zero joined forces with India’s largest motorcycle maker, Hero MotoCorp, to develop a new electric motorcycle model. Zero obviously eyed Hero’s massive manufacturing footprint and decades of production experience, and it looks like that partnership is closer than ever to revealing the fruits of its labor.
“As far as EV motorcycles, as we have talked about, that we are developing in partnership with Zero Motorcycles. And that’s something that while we have not given out the timeline, but the work is in progress. And it will be coming in the middle-weight segment. I would say it’s in the advanced stage. We haven’t announced the timeline as yet, but we would be looking at something which would not be too far off,” explained Hero MotoCorp CEO Niranjan Gupta during the company’s Q2 earnings call with analysts.
While targeting the more sought-after middleweight market, Hero confirmed that the company would also produce a version for the more performance end of the motorcycling market.
Hero has massive production chops to its name, but the company is relatively inexperienced with electric two-wheelers. Hero has just two models of electric scooters currently available under its Vida brand, and no fully-fledged electric motorcycles of the style for which Zero is known.
Zero and Hero have yet to provide specifics about where such a motorcycle might land in the international market, but recent moves by the company could provide a few clues.
Last month, Zero announced that it had partnered with Chinese motorcycle maker Zongshen to produce its new Zero XE and XB electric motorcycles. The move comes as part of Zero’s recently announced “All Access” initiative, which is built around adding more affordable models to the Zero lineup. Priced at just US $6,494 and $4,195, the Zero XE and XB are the most affordable Zero bikes we’ve seen yet.
There’s more where those came from, too. Zero claims that it will have six unique models, all priced at under US $10,000, in the next two years.
Based on the advanced state of the Hero partnership bike, it’s likely that such a model could be revealed as part of Zero’s All Access program.
via Fortune
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On today’s sunny side up episode of Quick Charge, we take a look at the latest from the world of solar power, and discuss Congressional Republicans’ plans to limit your energy independence by eliminating a critical tax credit for homeowners nearly ten years early. (!)
We’ve also got a quick review of a massive solar farm powering 200,000 homes in Indiana and the biggest solar project East of the Mississippi – both part of a record 98% of all new power generation and grid capacity introduced in 2025 coming from wind and solar. Those are jobs, those are lower utility rates, those are energy independence … so why are Congressional Republicans working to make that more expensive?
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If you want to read that EnergySage report on the state of the home solar industry, including news about battery energy storage system and V2H/V2G prices and financing trends, you can check it out for yourself, below, then let us know what you think in the comments.
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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A Waymo autonomous vehicle drives along Masonic Avenue on April 11, 2022 in San Francisco, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Alphabet’s Waymo unit has received approval to expand its autonomous ride-hailing service to more parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Jose.
In March, the company submitted a request to the California Public Utilities Commission to gain approval for its latest passenger safety plan, a key step in gaining permission to operate driverless vehicles across a broader area. On Monday, the proposed expansion was approved, allowing for Waymo’s driverless coverage to extend from San Francisco down through the Peninsula.
“We’re very excited to share that the CPUC has approved our application to operate our fully autonomous commercial ride-hailing service in the South Bay and nearly all of San Jose!” the company wrote in a post on X on Monday. “While this won’t change our operations in the near-term, we’re looking forward to bringing the benefits of Waymo One to more of the Bay Area in the future.”
The $5 billion Empire Wind is back in business. The Trump administration’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has lifted its stop-work order for Empire Wind, a major offshore wind project off the coast of New York led by Empire Offshore Wind LLC, a subsidiary of Equinor. Construction is now allowed to resume.
Equinor CEO Anders Opedal welcomed the news, saying the restart reinforces Equinor’s commitment to delivering clean energy while supporting local economies and saving thousands of jobs. He also credited a wide coalition of officials for helping get the project back on track, including Trump, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and congressional leaders like Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Dan Goldman. Opedal also thanked the Norwegian prime minister and the minister of finance for raising the issue with the US administration.
Governor Hochul said in a statement that “countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials” had taken place.
Neither the BOEM nor the Department of the Interior has issued a comment.
The Trump administration halted construction of the 54-turbine Empire Wind on April 16, but discussions between Equinor, regulators, and leaders at the federal, state, and city levels led to a reversal. That means Empire Wind can now push ahead with its goal of powering 500,000 New York homes with offshore wind energy.
“This project delivers on the energy ambitions shared by the US and New York by providing a vital new source of power to the region,” said Molly Morris, president of Equinor Wind US. She added that Empire Wind is boosting supply chain investments across the country, with activity in New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and South Carolina.
Equinor plans to reassess the project’s financials in the second quarter. The goal is still to install turbines offshore in 2025 and hit full commercial operation by 2027. The company says it will work with suppliers and regulators to minimize any delays from the month-long pause.
Empire Wind was first awarded its offshore lease in 2017 after a competitive federal process. It received its final construction green light in early 2024 following an extensive environmental review. Construction kicked off shortly after, and the project is now over 30% complete.
The US is a major market for Equinor. The Norwegian energy giant says it has invested around $60 billion in US energy projects since the early 2000s, more recently in low-carbon solutions, critical minerals, and renewables. Empire Wind is one of its flagship projects in the US.
Read more: Trump admin halts $5 billion NY offshore wind project mid-build
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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