Zero Motorcycles expands line with lighter, lower-cost models

1 day ago

Zero Motorcycles announced its 2025 lineup pinch 2 caller lightweight electrical on- and off-road models that grow its scope to nan e-bike and ray e-motorcycle markets. Zero’s existent electrical commuter, touring, and adventure motorcycles costs much than $12,000. Zero plans to rotation retired six caller sub-$10,000 models during nan adjacent 2 years successful what it position an “All Access” strategy to meet nan needs of further riders. The caller models will comprise Zero’s caller X Line.

The Zero X-Line

A rider sitting connected a Zero XE watching different rider doing donuts successful nan ungraded connected a Zero XB.

The XE and XB motorcycles lucifer motocross bikes pinch constrictive knobby tires, level saddles, comparatively level bars, and ample clearance betwixt nan wheels and fenders. When they get astatine U.S. dealerships successful nan summertime of 2025, they will beryllium sold for off-road riding only, though some will beryllium sold arsenic street-legal models successful Europe.

The XE and XB will person removable batteries, switchable traction control, and factory-tuned suspensions.

The Zero XE

2025 Zero XE correct floor plan pinch a acheronian grey stone wall background.
Positioned arsenic its first existent way bike, nan Zero XE is nan larger and much powerful of nan 2 X-Line motorcycles. Powered by a 4.3kWh battery, nan XE’s electrical centrifugal produces 21 horsepower and 468 pound-feet of torque. Zero claims nan apical velocity will beryllium 53 mph and rates nan scope astatine 65 miles, walking astatine 31 mph. The existent scope immoderate rider will acquisition varies connected galore factors. Charging is estimated to return 5.5 hours.

A rider connected a Zero XE riding connected a rocky upland trail.
The XE will measurement 223 pounds and person a 35.4-inch spot tallness pinch a 21-inch beforehand instrumentality and 18-inch rear wheel. The beforehand fork suspension will recreation 215 mm, and nan rear monoshock will recreation 248 mm. Both beforehand and rear suspension are adjustable. The XE features dual-piston DOT hydraulic brakes pinch clamp connected a azygous 240 mm beforehand rotor and 220 mm rear rotor.

The Zero XE will commencement astatine $6,495.

The Zero XB

2025 Zero XB parked successful beforehand of a acheronian grey stone wall background.
The smaller, little powerful Zero XB is simply a beginner’s off-road bike. The XB’s specs position it arsenic an e-bike competitor, pinch a 28 mph apical velocity and an estimated 47-mile range. The artillery stores 2.4kWh of power to powerfulness nan 7.5kW motor, producing 10 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. Zero estimates it will return 3 hours to recharge nan battery.

A rider kicking up particulate connected a 2025 Zero Motorcycle XB.
Weighing successful astatine 139 pounds, nan XB spot tallness is 32.7 inches pinch 18-inch wheels beforehand and rear. Single-piston hydraulic disk brakes person a 220 mm rotor connected nan beforehand and a 203 mm rotor connected nan rear wheel. Also afloat adjustable, nan beforehand fork suspension has 195 mm travel, and nan rear monoshock has 176 mm travel.

The Zero XB will commencement astatine $4,195.

Qualcomm wants to powerfulness your adjacent car pinch nan Snapdragon Cockpit and Ride Elite platforms

Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Ride Elite automotive platforms

It’s been a large twelvemonth for Qualcomm. Alongside its monolithic motorboat into laptop chips done nan Snapdragon X Elite series, Qualcomm is now entering nan automotive space. The institution has announced nan caller Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Snapdragon Ride Elite platforms astatine its yearly Snapdragon Summit, which it flew maine retired to attend.

The 2 platforms are designed for different purposes, and tin beryllium utilized togetheror separately. The Snapdragon Cockpit Elite is built for in-vehicle infotainment systems and services, while nan Snapdragon Ride Elite is built to powerfulness autonomous conveyance systems, including each nan cameras and sensors that spell into those systems.

Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a caller way for EVs

Scout Traveler and Scout Terra.

Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s caller tech, caller designs, aliases caller companies for illustration Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But nan Volkswagen Group’s caller EV-only marque besides relies heavy connected nan past.

Unveiled Thursday, nan Scout Traveler electrical SUV and Scout Terra electrical pickup motortruck are modern interpretations of nan classical International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, nan original Scout helped popularize nan thought of nan rugged, off-road-capable inferior vehicle, mounting nan shape for modern SUVs.

Robotaxi aside, a $25,000 EV would beryllium pointless, Tesla CEO says

Blue Tesla Model 3 Highland connected nan road

Enthusiasts expecting to 1 time put their hands connected nan steering instrumentality of a $25,000 Tesla EV whitethorn consciousness for illustration they’ve been taken for a ride.
CEO Elon Musk has conscionable put a superior damper connected those expectations, saying that extracurricular of nan driverless Robotaxi precocious unveiled by Tesla, a regular $25,000 exemplary would beryllium “pointless” and “silly.”
During a convention telephone pinch investors, Musk was asked to explain whether specified a exemplary was successful nan works.
"Basically, having a regular $25K exemplary is pointless,” Musk said. “It would beryllium silly. It would beryllium wholly astatine likelihood pinch what we believe." Tesla, Musk continued, has “been very clear that nan early is autonomous.”
On October 10, Tesla unveiled its much-awaited robotaxi, called nan Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV pinch nary steering instrumentality aliases pedals. The institution besides unveiled nan Robovan, a overmuch larger autonomous conveyance expected to transportation group aliases goods.
The automaker said nan Cybercab is expected to beryllium produced successful 2026 and costs $30,000. Musk, meanwhile, said that it would beryllium a $25,000 car without specifying if that value tag included national taxation credits.
Tesla’s ambiguity astir an affordable entry-level exemplary has been going connected for years. In 2020, Musk signaled that a $25,000 Tesla would get wrong 3 years. It was later reported that Tesla had ditched nan idea, alternatively favoring nan improvement of a robotaxi.
Language wrong Tesla’s latest financial study still hints that caller affordable Tesla models are connected nan way. But Musk’s latest comments are putting a level connected conscionable really affordable these would be. So far, Tesla’s Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive remains nan company’s cheapest model, pinch a guidelines value of $38,990.
Some rival EV makers, meanwhile, are entering nan affordable space more aggressively successful nan U.S.
General Motors has already put retired its Chevy Equinox EV astatine a value of $27,500, including national taxation credits. Volkswagen America says it plans to merchandise an under-$35,000 EV successful nan U.S. by 2027.