US electric bike-maker Zero has pulled the plug on its UK sales and marketing operation. Zero states: “The UK lags behind other European markets in terms of readiness. As a consequence, and with much regret, we have decided to withdraw our operations from the UK with immediate effect. This decision in no way impacts the rest our business operations in Europe.”
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| Zero: Exiting the UK |
Only weeks earlier, at the Cenex Low-Carbon Vehicle Event, Martin Driehaus, Zero's Manchester-based European sales and marketing manager, said he was looking for more UK dealers and regretted cutting back his orders following the delay in Zero's 2013 production which meant the new machines did not arrive until May, three months later than originally promised.
“In fact, we could have sold all the bikes I had originally ordered from the US,” he told BDN. He added that he was looking forward to having a big stand at the NEC public show, as Zero had done last year.
Zero will still be showing its 2014 range at the Milan show.
Sales manager Mark Lucock at Haslemere Motorcycles told BDN that he's “still wearing the black armband” in mourning over Zero's decision.
More details in the November issue of BDN.
