Transportation & Energy...

What has three wheels, four doors, and is cute as a bug? The ZAP Xebra electric vehicle, of course. Don't believe me? See for yourself here. These little buggers come in four solid colors and one gaudy zebra-stripe print, for the truly adventurous EV driver. As if EV driving weren't an mini adventure in itself.

I first saw these little buggers up close this week at EcoMotion, a new EV dealership in Portland, Oregon. While the cars aren't all that new, the dealership complete with test drives and showroom filled with shiny new models is. There are several on the West Coast now, including EcoMotion, which opened its doors in September 2007.

Like most of these stores, ZAP isn't the only maker on the floor, but it's one of the hottest sellers, especially at EcoMotion, where they sell more ZAP cars, scooters, and pick-up trucks than any other store, according to its general manager, Steve Sharer. If you're having a problem imagining a ZAP Xebra pick-up truck, check out the cuteness here.

ZAP, which stands for Zero Air Pollution, is not content to wait around for everyone else to catch on to EVs. In the very near future, the company plans to unveil a car that can play and recharge the iPod at MacWorld later this month. Further out on the timeline, in 2010, ZAP will introduce the hyper-cool X, a four-wheeled, four-door crossover vehicle expected to get 350 miles per charge. Bleeding-edge consumers can order one today with a mere $25,000 deposit.