Who Owns Zero Motorcycles & Where Are They Made?

The market for electric motorcycles has proven to be a bit volatile as of late and will likely continue to be so in light of recent economic positions taken by the United States government. It's expected to affect the cost of hundreds of products, including tires made by a few major brands. However, amid the ongoing uncertainties, one brand has managed to keep itself at the forefront of the electric motorcycle game: Zero. The company's name is likely inspired by the emissions output of its high-performance bikes, such as those announced to enter the market in 2025.

But if you're unfamiliar with the Zero name, you might be surprised to learn that the innovative electric motorcycle manufacturer has been around for nearly two decades, having come into existence in 2006. It did so under the guidance of former NASA engineer Neal Saiki, who endeavored to leverage his vast technical knowhow to build a highly-evolved line of electric motorcycles boasting the power and performance riders have long sought out in gas-powered builds. 

The company and its offerings are, understandably, still evolving. Though Saiki founded the outfit in '06, he's no longer running the Zero show, having made his exit in 2011. These days, Sam Paschel is calling the shots at the privately owned entity. However, Zero has received considerable funding from the likes of Polaris, Exor, Hero MotoCorp, and Invus over the years.

Among the myriad things that might be considered worth knowing about Zero Motorcycles is that Neal Saiki brought the company into being in Santa Cruz, California, just a few miles south of Silicon Valley, the heart of the U.S. tech scene. In the earliest days of its existence, bikes bearing the Zero brand name were also designed and manufactured in the Santa Cruz area. Zero has since become one of the country's biggest producers of electric motorcycles, building out its lineup to include a range of high-octane bikes fit for city streets as well as the off-road arena.

While many of those bikes are still being made and/or assembled in the company's Northern California facility, it would seem Zero's production needs have exceeded that facility's capabilities. By 2023, Zero's bosses struck a deal to begin manufacturing motorcycles far outside of the borders of the United States, with many of the company's builds now having origins in the Philippines. 

More accurately, Zero entered into an agreement with Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. to make complete builds as well as sub-assemblies in the company's Laguna, Philippines, manufacturing facility. The decision was likely also made in part to ramp up production of Zero's bikes, as the company had been struggling with fulfillment and production costs. While the move no doubt looked savvy at the time, it remains uncertain how U.S. tariffs may impact Zero's bottom line.