2022 Zero Motorcycles lineup offers more range, new in-app purchase options
The increase in competition from the likes of Livewire appears to be spurring Zero to do bigger and better things.
With a massive available range and looks borrowed from its more expensive siblings, the 2022 SR is a compelling option.
For quite a while now, Zero has been the biggest name in electric motorcycles . The company started before most of its competitors and has held on longer. It's become as close to a household name in the electric motorcycle world as any company is likely to get. The bikes it offers -- SR, SR/F and SR/S -- are compelling in their performance and styling. And now, according to an announcement made by Zero on Thursday, their range is about to get extra compelling, too.
The 2022 Zero models can get up to 21 kilowatt-hours of battery capacity.
The most significant part of Zero's 2022 model announcement is the introduction of battery capacities up to 21 kilowatt-hours. This is possible thanks to a change in its battery-pack design and architecture, which it calls Z-Force. That big chunk of energy storage is good for a reasonably staggering 227 miles of range in the city and 113 on the highway at 70 mph. For comparison's sake, the Livewire One in my garage right now offers a maximum range of 146 miles in the city and around 90 miles on the highway.
But that's not all. Zero is also offering a service called the Cypher Store, which allows owners to upgrade their motorcycle through purchases via the Zero app. Some of the features you can enable through the Cypher Store include faster charging, extended range, a performance boost or even heated grips. Of course, I think most of this should just simply be included on a bike as expensive as the Zero.
The other significant change -- and this is a good one -- is the complete redesign of the base model Zero SR, which now packs 74 horsepower and 122 pound-feet of torque. Previous versions of this felt sort of e-bike-like rather than motorcycle-like, and that always put me off. The new version takes a bunch of the styling cues and some of the components from its bigger and more expensive SR/F and SR/S siblings, but offers a more palatable base price of $17,995. Of course, if you want that class-leading range, you're going to have to spend more than that -- nearly $21,000, in fact.
The 2022 Zero lineup and the Cypher Store are set to launch in Q1 of 2022.
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