NHTSA sues electric motorcycle company over ineffective recall.

The Detroit News (6/13, Shepardson, 119K) reports, “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has filed suit against a California-based importer of Chinese-made electric motorcycles, seeking $17.35 million in civil fines and $3,100 refunds to owners after the agency says the company has repeatedly failed to fix unsafe braking systems.” The News explains that “NHTSA filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington last month claiming ZAP, the Santa Rosa, Calif.-based importer of electric three-wheel motorcycles, had failed to develop a remedy to fix unsafe vehicles.” NHTSA said in its 20-page Federal lawsuit that “not only did ZAP provide conflicting or inadequate information to NHTSA about its recalls, but for years, its claims of having developed an effective repair remedy were proven wrong.”