Isle of Man’s police force called on several interesting vehicles to patrol the island during the famous TT fortnight, with their usual fleet being bolstered by a Ford Mustang, Ariel Atom and a Zero electric motorcycle.
As well as proving both economical to run and environmentally friendly, the Zero proved a stealthy tool for sneaking up on the bad guys – thanks to its silent running.
Constable Andrew Greaves (pictured), who rode the Zero DS during the TT, said: “I’ve been very impressed with the Zero and the way in which it performs and handles. It has certainly created a lot of interest. The bike has drawn a crowd wherever we’ve gone and there have been a lot of questions from members of the public. I’ve enjoyed riding the Zero and I can certainly see where the silent running of an electric motorcycle can bring big benefits when out on patrol.”
Although the DS run at the TT was the first electric bike to go on patrol in the British Isles, a big part of the American company’s business involves producing bikes for public authorities and military use. The DS used on the Isle of Man was converted by Coventry-based Woodway Engineering and features 360 degree blue lights with a yellow and blue high resolution livery meeting Home Office standards.
Umberto Uccelli, Managing Director of Zero Motorcycles Europe, commented: “The British Government has already sent out a strong message by extending its plug-in grant to include motorcycles and we are very pleased to see a Zero being utilised by a police force in the British Isles. As well as selling our products to members of the public, a large part of our business comes from providing motorcycles to authorities around the world. In addition to our home country of the United States, Zeros are being used by authorities all across Europe, including in France, Italy and Germany. We are finding that our products play an important role in a wide range of applications. The clean and silent running is not only an advantage in stealth situations, but also in the city and countryside, where it is important not to disturb residents or wildlife. The use of electric vehicles also sends out a strong message with regards to environmental responsibility. After the successful trial in the Isle of Man, we now look forward to working with police forces around the UK and invite them to see our products and assess a Zero for themselves.”
