Longtime Zero Motorcycles customer and collaborator, Terry Hershner, has won the 2014 Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge. Founded by motorcycle designer Craig Vetter, the winner of the Vetter Challenge is determined by using the least amount of energy, as measured in dollars and cents, versus the cost of miles per gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel.
Aboard his modified 2012 Zero S electric motorcycle with an aerodynamic fairing, “Electric Terry” covered 172 miles at a cost of only $2.29, or approximately 1.3 cents per mile, becoming the first electric powered motorcycle to win and the most efficient to date. Even accounting for higher electricity costs and paying an equivalent in fuel taxes, Hershner and his Zero motorcycle were 25 percent better than their nearest petroleum-powered competitor.
After riding his winning motorcycle from Utah back to Zero Motorcycles’ headquarters near Santa Cruz, California, Hershner said, “I enjoy showing people what an electric motorcycle is capable of. The Zero is fun to ride, replaces most trips by car, and as we demonstrated at the Vetter Challenge, remarkably efficient.”
Hershner started riding electric motorcycles in 2008, bought his Zero in 2012, and has been pushing boundaries ever since. In a couple years, he has logged over 66,000 miles on his Zero S. His upcoming goals include completing the “Iron Butt” challenge (1,000 miles in 24 hours) and bettering his United States coast-to-coast time of 135 hours.
For more information, visit zeromotorcycles.com.
