Abe Askenazi has been named chief technology officer (CTO) of Zero Motorcycles, it was announced recently. After joining Zero in February 2010 as the vice president of engineering, Askenazi led his team in the development of Zero’s 2011 product line. A major overhaul from the previous year, over eighty percent of each existing model was re-engineered or otherwise improved, and three new models were added.
As CTO, Askenazi will pioneer Zero Motorcycles’ technology infrastructure and direct the development of the company’s new powertrain project.
“Abe’s ability to effectively execute on an aggressive product development plan, select the best new technologies and rally his team is remarkable. The result of his work is clearly visible in our 2011 product line that is more robust and better performing than any of its predecessors,” said Karl Wharton, Zero Motorcycles COO. “With Abe taking on the role of CTO we are now even more confident that our future product offerings will continue to evolve and maintain our market leading status.”
Askenazi is a passionate engineer and motorcyclist holding both a BS and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley. At Buell, Askenazi helped develop 26 models (including two turn-key road racers) across four different platforms, resulting in the production of over 130,000 vehicles. Askenazi holds numerous patents for motorcycle components and has published a text-book and multiple articles on both analytical engineering and motorcycle technology.
“As CTO, I plan to further lead Zero Motorcycles in pushing the boundaries of electric powertrain technology,” said Askenazi. “Our goal is to continue to offer customers the highest performance and value available today.”
For more information about Zero Motorcycles, visit www.zeromotorcycles.com.
