June, 2012
Hollywood Electrics, a renowned seller of electric bikes and electric motorcycles has made a unique and ballsy move by announcing the opening later this summer of the first all electric off road race track just a few blocks off the Las Vegas Strip. “Hollywood EMX” features the new line of 2012 Zero Motorcycles, riders near the strip will be able to rent an off road electric motorcycle and rip around a purpose-built 32 acre race track with the Las Vegas skyline in clear view.
In a city where you can shoot a machine gun, bungee jump off a crane, take a helicopter ride through the grand canyon, indoor skydive, etc, you can now add to the list riding an electric motorcycle for those who go to Vegas for more than the usual reasons (debauchery). If you find yourself in Vegas, you’re bored and hot, give this electric racetrack a shot to get your blood pumping, and support the electric two wheel cause.
Take a look at what these innovative guys at Hollywood Electrics did, they took an unused piece of land that looked like this:
We can only hope this lease of rare Las Vegas prime real estate will last
And brought it to life silently with the power of electrics.
A Zero MX on the outskirts of the Vegas track
Not often do you see a completely different business model and these guys have done it. In a place where racing gassers would not be possible because of the irritating noise and exhaust smell, people will now have a chance to race a powerful dirt bike within the city limits of one of the most fantastic cities in the world. Hollywood Electrics is gambling on a state of the art electric motorycle which has been released this year with a new battery chemistry that could be a game changer.
Hollywood Electrics is utilizing brand new technology that has come to fruition in the 2012 Zero MX Motorcycle. This electric off-road motorcycle features a brand new battery pack that is light weight and reliable, and now with a 70% longer range than last years model at the same weight. Its proven to have a lifespan of 3,000 track hours while still retaining 80% of its capacity. A man who is a hero in the electric bike world, Luke “Liveforphysics” (#1 on our list of leaders of the electric bike revolution) was instrumental in developing the new Zero “Z-force” LiPo battery. Liveforphysics is famous for using a lot of the electric motorcycle technology he has access to, so he can build insanely fast electric bikes which he calls his “Death Bikes”.
Lukes “Death Bike” on Zero Motorcycle’s Dyno
Hollywood Electrics is in the process of bulldozing four different courses with varying layouts that cater to different rider skill levels. Helmets, body armor, and riding instruction will be supplied by Hollywood. Also people will be able to test-ride electric bicycles on the various tracks. Hollywood will sell a full line of electric bikes and electric motorcycles in Las Vegas, just as they have been doing in their Los Angeles store. Hollywood Electrics has sold more Zero Motorcycles than any dealership on the planet last year, and thus have the hook-up on brand new Zero bikes and battery packs. Check out this pic of the the guys testing a line of 2012 Zero MX motorycles before any other dealership even had them:
Las Vegas hosts 4o million visitors a year, and with Hollywood Electrics using the Zero Motorcycles, it can potentially introduce the joys of riding a two-wheeled electric vehicle to thousands of people each month, and could cause a ripple effect which could help fuel the electric bike revolution.
Zero MX parked out by the entrance to the new Hollywood Electrics store in Las Vegas
For those not into the thrills of off-road racing, visitors will also have the option of renting road-legal electric motorcycles, and take long tours of the Nevada scenery. Available for this type of rental is the Zero Zfp, a street-legal electric motorcycle with a 100 mile range using the new battery technology mentioned earlier. Electric bike rental and sales will be available as well. I will update this story as more information comes in.
To give you an idea of the thrill of riding the new Zero Mx here is a video of a race that happened this year where a Zero shows its stuff against gassers (read our story about it here)
