Cobb County, Ga., has added two Zero electric motorcycles to its police fleet for high-visibility patrol and high profile events. The DSP models replace two 2004 Yamaha dirt bikes and were delivered March 27. Their on/off-road design will allow them to be utilized in county parks as well.

Deployment of the vehicles are expected to save the county more than $34,000 through limited maintenance and repair costs as well as fuel savings in comparison to gasoline-powered motorcycles in the fleet, said Al Curtis, the county's fleet management director.

Staff learned about the vehicle after a local vendor set up a demonstration. The motorcycles have a 130-mile range, 68 ft.-lbs. of torque from a gearless 54-hp motor, and reach a top speed of 98 mph.

"My vision for Cobb County fleet is to continue to deploy more green technologies that demonstrate our commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability," Curtis said.