Q&A: Zero Motorcycles' CEO On Tax Credits, Rivals

Sam Paschel is the CEO of Zero Motorcycles Inc., a privately-held company based in Scotts Valley, California, that designs and makes electric motorcycles and powertrains, including fleet vehicles for police and the military. The company was started in 2006 by Neal Saiki, a former NASA engineer.

The Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: How has your industry changed over the last decade or so?

A: Zero is driven by two separate dynamics: the trends in the electric vehicle space and those in the traditional motorcycle market.

In the traditional motorcycle market, overall volume peaked most recently in 2007. After the financial collapse of 2008, the market has seen a slow and steady climb but still hasn’t returned to pre-recession levels.

The electric vehicle market has seen explosive growth driven by improvements in technology, infrastructure investment and rapidly growing acceptance of electric vehicles generally. We are very fortunate that our business has consistently followed the trends in the electric vehicle space and hasn’t been limited by slower growth in the motorcycle market.