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ZERO’S SALES SURGE
Zero Motorcycles ZERO MOTORCYCLES
Scooterised in North London, the UK’s first solus Zero dealership
Zero’s 2022 ‘Experience Electric Tour’ generated over 2000 leads and contributed 23 verified sales
Electric motorcycles are the future, but for American EV specialists Zero Motorcycles they’re very much right here, right now
Everyone knows that there is a legislative drive to end production and sales of new internal combustion engined vehicles from 2030, with a complete ban on the sale of new petrol powered bikes expected in just over 11 years’ time. Already we’re seeing the legacy manufacturers teasing prototypes and concept vehicles, but there’s one American company which already has 16 years of experience building high performance all-electric motorcycles.
Zero Motorcycles are deadly serious market leaders in the sector. Like Tesla, their Californian neighbours, they’ve ploughed the electric furrow while others laughed, and now they’re ready to reap the rewards of their efforts. The company recently announced a $107m round of investment, with backers including automotive giants Polaris and Hero Corp, while the new DSR/X adventure sports machine has received near universal acclaim following its launch a few months ago. To all intents and purposes Zero is a brand which really is going places.
Having grown from a mere three dealers five years ago to more than 20 today, the continued growth in the market means that Zero is looking to further expand its network in 2023 – filling its last remaining open points in the UK and Ireland. Country manager Dale Robinson, a former operations director at Magic Group, has been the driving force behind the brand in that time and he told BDN that the company now has a structure in place to put Zero in pole position for the electric revolution.
He said: “It’s been quite a journey. The past few years have been about putting the building blocks in place to support the dealer network and the end customer, which we didn’t necessarily have when we sold a handful of bikes back then.
“We’re working with some of the best companies in the industry. DF Capital are providing our dealers with wholesale funding, while Moto Novo have created a range of special finance deals for Zeros. I’ve also been working closely with insurance companies to help them better understand our range of bikes and customers. That allows them to offer competitive quotes in line with traditional petrol engine bikes, and that combines to give us a much easier product to sell.”
Robinson says that the dealer support has improved significantly in recent years with the acquisition of new team members. He continues: “A few years ago there were just the two of us based in the UK, dealing with all the general admin. This year we’ve had two important new additions to the
team, Cees Lengers joining as UK marketing manager and Marcus Fouracres as our UK field service engineer. They’re both working very closely with the dealer network, in Cees’ case supporting sales incentives, point of sale materials and marketing, while Marcus has allowed us to provide technical training and support locally, instead of from the Netherlands as was the case before. This has been a really important appointment and gives a lot of support to workshops as they make the transition from petrol to electric.”
And while not all British bikers are sold on the idea of going electric, Dale says that the tide has definitely turned.
“The product is good,” he says. “We’ve spent a lot of time educating the public and we’ve done that through a comprehensive test ride programme, called the Experience Electric Tour. I’m a petrol head and was probably as cynical as anyone before I first rode a Zero, but immediately when I felt all that torque, I knew there was something in it. I can give numerous examples of situations where I’ve met with potential new dealers who have felt the same, grudgingly having a go to get me out of their hair and then coming back saying ‘where do I sign!’
“They are a product that needs to be ridden to be experienced. I could spend the next hour talking to you about all the features and benefits, or you could take one out and in ten seconds flat you start to understand what they are all about. Customers want to compare electric vehicles against what they are used to, which is understandable, but the reality is the way they make their power means they are incomparable and have to be experienced to be believed. That’s why we ask all dealers to run two demo bikes, on special terms, and why Experience Electric has been so important to us. We can’t expect customers to make the change without trying them first and the tour has generated thousands of leads, which in turn have resulted in verified sales. And even if they aren’t yet in a position to purchase, the tour allows us to change perceptions by offering a no stress environment in which to learn more about electric. This has been good for addressing the prejudices held by some bikers and so often at shows we’ll be approached by people whose mates have ridden one of our bikes and told them how much they enjoyed it. That word of mouth is so important for breaking down the stereotypes.”
Zero’s sales growth has coincided with a large investment in product development. All development and production remains in the USA, with models like the latest SR/S, MCN’s Electric Bike of the Year, and the new DSR/X being the result of a new platform. They offer an increase of almost 40% more range than the comparable models from five years ago, with the latest SR/S offering more than 180 miles of range in the city, with a genuine 110+ available on open roads. Charging times have been reduced, with recharge times of less than an hour now possible.
“Customers are now a lot more electric savvy than they were,” Dale continues. “There are a lot of electric cars on the road now, so the terminology and way of approaching EVs are not new to them. Fear of the unknown is much less of a thing than it once was and it is something we notice when working at shows and events. People know that home charging usually gives them all the range they need and they understand that automotive grade batteries are durable and won’t need to be thrown away in a few years’ time.”
That said, Zero is still taking a belt and braces approach when it comes to warranty – offering an industry leading five year, unlimited mileage warranty on the battery pack to instil consumer confidence.
“We’re doing everything we can to make Zero a good and sustainable business partner,” Robinson continues. “There’s some serious investment in Zero and the UK is an important market, the third biggest in Europe. I’ve been a dealer principal myself and I understand the challenges in the marketplace. Zero is a premium product and we’re offering good margins and pay standard labour rates for warranty work. In addition to the team here in the UK, dealers can rely on support from the European headquarters in the Netherlands, which is also the distribution hub for motorcycles and parts. We’ve also got a long-term PR agency in Potski Media, who provide local communications and social media support, while there is also specialist support for dealers looking to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the fleet market. We’re also seeing the emergence of a second hand market for electric bikes and are working on programmes which will help our network sell these with confidence.
“I think that everyone in the industry recognises that electric motorcycles have an important part to play in the future of motorcycling, and we offer dealers something new to help them future proof their portfolio. Our best dealers are the ones who really embrace electrification and who understand that the bikes and customers need to be approached in a slightly different way. Small things, like getting a dedicated EV charging point so that customers can see how easy and quickly the bikes can be charged can make a big difference when it comes to converting sales, and having staff actually using the bikes on a regular basis really helps them to understand what Zeros are all about, and to help them confidently answer questions customers may have about charging and range with first hand examples.”
Zero are looking to appoint up to ten new dealers in 2023, with a number of open points in the south, as well as Northern Ireland, North Wales and Leeds.
ZERO’S AMBITIOUS PLANS FOR 2023 sees it looking to appoint new dealers across the British Isles, with open points in Northern Ireland, Newcastle, Leeds, North Wales, Oxford, South London, Brighton, Luton and Southampton. Open points are: • Luton • Oxford • South London • Southampton • Brighton • Leeds • Newcastle • North Wales • Northern Ireland
If you’re interested in adding a premium electric line-up to your portfolio, email Dale Robinson at dale.robinson@zeromotorcycles.com to express an interest and for more information.
dale.robinson@zeromotorcycles.com www.zeromotorcycles.com
