America Must Promote Electric Scooters!

America needs a transportation policy that includes Motorcycles and electric scooters.


I feel its my duty to start writing about this since as I write this the United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is getting a demonstration of Zero's 2011 electric motorcycle product line. I hope he can go over to the SBA and to the Department of Energy and get them to cut all the red tape involved with the assembly of EV bikes.


Right now I have over 3 Chinese factories begging the Scooter Maven to assemble vehicles for them. I have the business plan, we applied for grants ( we got a few ), but after doing the math its impossible to assemble in America. It's not just a cost issue. It's a demand issue.


Who is buying ZERO Bikes? Its like the name implies ZERO. I was a consultant for the old Vectrix and I've written about this numerous times. The industry push has to be met with demand on the consumer side. Right now besides a few greenies in California it's not there. You need to have the Postal Service, Police Departments, and local Municipalities buy Green, but not just any green because they will buy the worse vehicle out there, but to buy GREEN THAT WORKS.


We are loosing the next phase of the Solar / Electric / Scooter / Motorcycle race to Asia. Why? Because all that people do is wonder what is in it for them. The cities with the grant money want you to sign unrealistic job creation agreements, the Obama Administration wants unrealistic returns and when they do lend money its part of a bigger promise nobody can meet. Look at what happened to the solar power company SOLYNDRA. Nepotism, government croonies, and money that gets fed to the $300,000 a year CEO does not make the average citizen drive an electric motorcycle or put solar panels on top of his building.


We need a policy that works, we need one clear vision and so far this Administration has done nothing for the motorcycle industry in this sector. The MIC just wants less regulation what it should be calling for are politicians with brains and a clear path for our country.


There are more electric scooters, motorcycles, and bicycles in use in one Asian city right now than in all of North America. If we don't catch up we'll be left behind in the next frontier of motorcycling. Sad for the guys who practically invented the art of motorcycles.