Zero Motorcycles has launched a new incentive program that offers cash back to newly licensed riders who purchase one of the company’s electric motorcycles or scooters. It’s an interesting way to encourage new motorcyclists to skip internal combustion and go electric from day one.
The catch? The program is only available across much of Europe, leaving out the US entirely.
Under the new “New Rider Bonus” program, riders who purchase a new Zero within three months of earning their motorcycle license can receive either €500 (around US$580) back on larger models like the DSR/X, SR/F, S, and DS, or €250 (around US$290) back on the new LS1 scooter and XE lightweight models.
The promotion applies to riders who obtain an A1, A2, or full A motorcycle license, as well as UK CBT and Irish IBT certificate holders. Eligible motorcycles must be new, unregistered 2025 or 2026 model year bikes purchased from authorized dealers in countries including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, and Luxembourg.
The timing makes sense. Someone who has just completed rider training is likely already shopping for their first motorcycle, making this a relatively inexpensive way for Zero to influence buying decisions at exactly the right moment.
It’s also a recognition that getting more people onto electric motorcycles often starts with attracting riders before they’ve already developed loyalties to gasoline-powered brands.
Unfortunately for American riders, the offer doesn’t extend across the Atlantic.
That omission is difficult to ignore, particularly given Zero’s recent strategic direction. The California-born company has increasingly shifted its focus away from its birthplace in the US and toward Europe, relocating its headquarters there and launching several European-first initiatives, from a Europe-only electric scooter to street legal homologation of its Sur Ron-style electric dirt bikes, but only in Europe.
While Europe continues to see stronger policy support and consumer adoption for electric two-wheelers, the absence of similar incentives in the US adds to the growing impression that Zero’s home market is no longer a priority.
That’s understandable from a business perspective if Europe is delivering stronger sales and a more supportive regulatory environment. Companies have to follow the market.
But it’s still a disappointing signal for American electric motorcycle enthusiasts. Zero helped pioneer the modern electric motorcycle industry in the US, and many riders would undoubtedly like to see the company investing just as aggressively in growing its original home market as it now appears to be doing overseas.
If nothing else, this latest incentive feels like another reminder of where Zero sees its future – and increasingly, it isn’t the country where the company got its start.
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