One complaint many potential owners have with Zero electric bikes is the initial purchase price. A lot of that is down to the sheer cost of lithium battery packs – but the current California-based production facility seems likely to be another part of the equation. So a move to production in the Philippines seems like it could make sense for the firm. It announced a new ‘strategic manufacturing collaboration’ with Integrated Micro-Electronics (IMI), an electronic manufacturing services company in Laguna, Philippines. IMI will begin assembling Zero motorcycles and sub-assemblies in conjunction with the main Zero plant in Scott’s Valley, California. The bikes produced by IMI will primarily be focused on supplying the Asian and European markets, presumably adding volume and reducing costs. Interestingly, IMI already makes motorcycles for KTM as part of its global manufacturing base, so it has both solid electronic know-how and actual, real, powered-two-wheeler production experience – a valuable combination.
“We are thrilled to partner with IMI and bring their expertise in electronics manufacturing and motorcycle assembly to the Zero Motorcycles line-up of products,” said Zero Motorcycles CEO, Sam Paschel. “This collaboration will be transformational for Zero Motorcycles’ operations. Expanding our manufacturing footprint into a new region allows Zero Motorcycles to efficiently scale up to meet the rapidly growing demand for our products and improve customer delivery and satisfaction in the fast-growing EV market.”
IMI CEO, Arthur Tan, stated, “IMI is excited to partner with Zero Motorcycles and help bring their innovative electric motorcycles to the world. This collaboration aligns with our commitment to supporting the company’s growth and sustainability efforts while providing high-quality manufacturing services.”