If launched in India, Zero FXE EV will be a fitting rival to other premium electric motorcycles from Ultraviolette, Orxa and others
Almost a year after breaking the eggs and announcing their collaboration, there were little to no developments that surfaced from Hero MotoCorp and Zero Motorcycles. That is now changed as the first-ever test mule of Zero FXE electric motorcycle has been spotted testing in Karnataka state, donning registration plates of Bengaluru city. Let’s take a look.
Zero FXE EV Spied In India
Shifting from the reputation of a mass market budget commuter motorcycle manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp is expanding its focus to incorporate a premium product portfolio as well. While in Indian ICE market, the efforts have begun to take shape.
To have the same effect in EV world, Hero MotoCorp had collaborated with Cali-based American brand, Zero Motorcycles. The goal behind this collaboration between premium electric motorcycle manufacturer, Zero, and world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, Hero, was to achieve a synergy between cost-efficient manufacturing and high-tech engineering.
This collaboration was also essential for Hero MotoCorp to expand its portfolio to include more premium vehicles than what it is currently offering. In September 2022, Hero MotoCorp invested as much as USD 60 million in Cali-based American Zero Motorcycles. Interestingly, the test mule was spotted in Karnataka, with Bengaluru registration plates, suggesting that a component OEM is testing it, instead of Hero MotoCorp.
What is a Zero FXE?
Zero FXE is a premium electric motorcycle with a high performance edge. For starters, FXE is a SuperMoto style motorcycle with high ground clearance. Zero Motorcycles has other body styles too, including fully faired sportsbike models (S, SR/F, SR/S) and ADV style motorcycles (DS, DSR, DSR/X).
FX is Zero’s Supermoto style motorcycle range and has two variants – FX and FXE. The one spotted in India is FXE with alloy wheels instead of FX with wire-spoke units. The bike looks mean and athletic, while packing a serious punch in terms of performance. Hero or Zero is yet to confirm launch for India.
Zero FXE comes equipped with a large 7.2 kWh Z-Force battery pack that promises up to 105 miles of range on a single charge, which turns out to 169 km in metric system. This battery pack supports 650W onboard charger. There is a powerful electric motor kicking out 46 bhp of peak power and 106 Nm of peak torque.
Componentry on Zero FXE is top notch too, offering a loaded experience. Suspension is handled by 41mm Showa USD forks at the front with preload, compression and rebound adjustment along with 178mm of travel. Rear gets 40mm Showa piggy-back unit with preload, compression and rebound adjustment along with 227mm travel.
Other notable components include 320mm front and 240mm rear disc brakes with floating calipers, Bosch Gen 9 ABS, 110/70-17 front and 140/70-17 rear Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tyres and more. The most intriguing aspect about Zero FXE EV is that it only weighs 140 kg, which is bonkers.
