Zero Motorcycles, one of the world’s leading Western electric motorcycle manufacturers, announced that it is relocating its global headquarters from California to the Netherlands. The move marks a major strategic shift for the company as it doubles down on Europe, which has long been its largest market for electric two-wheelers, despite the American company’s US base of operations.
According to Zero, the transition will bring key global functions together in a new European hub while maintaining its California location as the company’s long-term “Innovation Center” for R&D and engineering. The move allows the company to keep a toehold in the states while transferring its main operations to Europe.
The electric motorcycle maker says its US location will still support a team working on Zero’s powertrains and next-generation models, maintaining the company’s technological roots in the US as leadership and global operations move overseas.
“Zero has led the electric motorcycle category for nearly two decades,” said CEO Sam Paschel. “With Europe setting the pace for EV adoption, moving key headquarters functions into the Netherlands allows us to respond faster to customer needs and strengthen our global operations. This is about focus, discipline, and ensuring we lead the transformation of the powersports industry.”
The decision follows a period of what Zero says is rapid expansion for the company in Europe, where the electric motorcycle maker has reported strong growth in both retail and fleet segments. With the Netherlands serving as a central hub, Zero aims to increase agility, streamline operations, and enhance collaboration with suppliers and distributors across the continent.
The move follows a pattern for Zero, which has seen an increasing reliance on overseas operations, from production to marketing and sales. While Zero originally touted its US-based manufacturing, its components and production have increasingly relied on Asian manufacturing, and recent partnerships have seen its most affordable models being produced nearly entirely by its Asian partners for marketing and sale by Zero.
But despite the global shift, Paschel emphasized that Zero remains committed to the US market. The company plans to continue working closely with its American dealers and investing in local sales and service infrastructure.
To support the transition, Zero’s primary shareholder has committed $50 million in new funding, which the company says will accelerate its transformation and reinforce its leadership in the electric motorcycle sector.
“Our brand, our technology, and our global reach give us unmatched credibility and capabilities,” Paschel added. “Tightly coordinating our global headquarters functions in Europe ensures we remain the clear leader in electric motorcycles and sets the stage for the most exciting chapter in the company’s history.”
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