Image Credit: Zero Motorcycles.
The automotive world is just full of little surprises. Sometimes it resembles that rare moment when you open the fridge and find a leftover slice of cake you'd completely forgotten about - mostly delightful, but also slightly bewildering. This time, our surprise comes from the lovely folks at Zero Motorcycles, whose entire identity is wrapped up in building electric superbikes. They have decided to… wait for it… make a scooter. I can't imagine James Bond suddenly trading in his Aston Martin for an electric Vespa, but this feels very much like it. Sans the ejector seat.
The new little darling is called the LS1, and it's Zero's way of saying, "We love big, burly two-wheelers, but we also love tiny, zippy ones." Officially, this pivot is part of their charmingly named "All-Access" initiative - they want electric mobility to be available to all of us. And honestly, for getting around tight European city centers - Paris, Milan, or Barcelona - you absolutely cannot beat a scooter.
Image Credit: Zero Motorcycles.
This little scoot has some decent, albeit unsurprising, bones. Zero built the LS1 on a compact chassis with a short wheelbase that's designed to navigate rush-hour traffic without you needing to take out a lamppost. The suspension is basic but appropriate, giving you about 4.3 inches of travel up front and 4.1 inches in the back. That's enough to gently cushion your morning commute over a misplaced cobblestone or two. Stopping power comes courtesy of floating brakes, with dual pistons up front and a single-piston setup on the back, which is exactly what you want when you suddenly remember you left your purse at home.
Power is where Zero gets to show off its muscle, even if it's just a flexed pinkie finger. The LS1 features a mid-mounted motor that delivers a perfectly respectable 11.3 horsepower and a very healthy 38 pound-feet of peak torque. That's plenty of 'get up and go' for a lightweight city vehicle tipping the scales at just 291 pounds curb weight. The scooter can hit a top speed of 62 mph, which is quite brisk! Zero also lists a 'sustained' top speed of 53 mph, which is what the scooter can actually hold for an extended period. I appreciate the honesty, really, I do.
Image Credit: Zero Motorcycles.
The heart of any modern electric vehicle, however, is its battery. And here, Zero has gone for convenience. The LS1 comes standard with two swappable battery packs mounted down low in the floorboard, which is great for a lower center of gravity - makes for a nice, easy ride. With this two-pack configuration, you can expect a perfectly adequate range of up to 71 miles. But, because we live in a world where more is always better, Zero is offering an optional third battery. Spring for the triple-A setup, and your range stretches out to 106 miles. That should cover your daily commute, plus an unplanned detour to three different grocery stores, and maybe a joyride around the block just for fun.
One of the great features of swappable batteries is the ability to charge them indoors - so you don't have to string an extension cord out your fourth-floor window. The standard 800-W charger is a gentle soul, taking about 4.5 hours to go from empty to 95 percent, or a slightly less painful 3 hours for the 20 to 80 percent sweet spot. If you're anything like me, you'd rather not watch the clock tick down for that long, which is why Zero offers an optional 1,500-Watt fast charger that nearly halves those wait times.
Image Credit: Zero Motorcycles.
The LS1 keeps things simple and commuter-friendly in the practicality department. It has a low seat height of just 30.7 inches, which means even I can easily put both feet flat on the ground. Great for new riders, or in fact anyone who's ever had that terrifying moment of stopping at a light and realizing you're about to tip over in a slow-motion disaster. For safety, the scooter comes equipped with electronic aids like ABS and traction control, which should keep you firmly glued to the pavement, even when you inevitably hit a sudden patch of spilled ice cream.
And what about storage? Ah, yes. The all-important trunk space. Zero assures us there is "ample under-seat storage, large enough for a helmet or groceries." A classic line. 'Ample' is such a relative term, isn't it? For me, ample storage is enough space for an overnight bag and maybe a small dog. For a scooter, it probably means you can squeeze in a single helmet and a very small bag of organic spinach. But hey, it's a scooter, not a minivan, so we'll take what we can get!
Image Credit: Zero Motorcycles.
You probably wonder how much this bundle of electric joy costs? The price point floats around $6,000, depending on where you happen to be in the world. Considering this scooter is a partnership with China's Zongshen, that seems like a pretty fair shake for a city commuter with such a sophisticated battery setup. The price puts it right into the 'affordable' bracket for many, especially when you factor in the money you'll save by not buying gas. The bad news? If you're in the United States, you're probably out of luck. The Zero CEO openly admitted the LS1 is designed for the narrow, traffic-choked streets of Europe - plus, most Americans still look at a scooter and wonder what kind of carnival ride it is.
We're told deliveries will begin in the latter part of December this year. Zero may have been a little shy about giving us the full acceleration times (my guess is it's 'fast enough') and the full length and width (my guess is 'small'), but the LS1 is still an excellent move. It brings a renowned electric brand's technology to a wider, more accessible market. It's a stylish, smart little package that should make city commuting genuinely fun. And as for Zero making a scooter? I suppose if you can build a fighter jet, you can certainly build a paper airplane. Bravo, Zero. Bravo.
Image Credit: Zero Motorcycles.
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