Zap

Forget Gas Prices: Consider a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle

khallgeisler — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Many automakers are promising that electric, highway-speed, family sedans are on their way, maybe even as early as next year. If you'd like to lose the gasoline habit sooner rather than later, though, there are options available right now: NEVs, or neighborhood electric vehicles.

These are the zippy little cars made by the likes of Zap, Zenn, and Gem. Some have three wheels, some have four, and they generally carry one or two passengers. But would one of these cars work for you? Maybe, and maybe not.

Pluses

No gas, ever. All the power is supplied by batteries, usually of the common, less-expensive lead-acid variety. These can be fully charged overnight in a standard socket for a couple cents a mile.

Up the green ante with renewable power. If your utility company offers clean electricity from wind farms or the like, then your NEV's carbon footprint dwindles to almost nothing.

Price. NEVs can be cheaper than even gas-sippers like the Honda Fit or Nissan Versa. Bare-bones models start at about $7,000 and go up to about $16,000 for your fancier models.

Zero emissions. None.

Quiet. The only noise is the tires rolling on the road, so you'll no longer be contributing to noise pollution. But do the polite thing and make sure kids and the blind know you're around, since they can't hear you.

Minuses

Top speed of about 40 mph. For those who live in an urban area, though, this hardly matters. Speed limits in towns are rarely higher than a Zap can zip.

Maximum range of 25-50 miles, depending on batteries. Again, this isn't a major minus, as 78% of Americans have a round-trip commute of 40 miles or fewer. If you can top off the batteries at work, you can double your daily miles.

Number of passengers is limited. You can take your kid to Little Leage practice, but no one else can ride along. Unless they are very tiny, or an invisible friend.

Hills are the enemy. But the flip side is that flat streets are your friend. If you live in a hilly area, an NEV might not have the power to get you up and over. But again, flat, urban commutes are ideal for these cars.

Taryn Sokolow, of the EnVironmental Motors EV dealership in Glendale, Calif., said in an interview earlier this year, "Some people it really doesn't work for, and some people think they can't, but they can."

When Sokolow is working with a customer to find the right NEV, she finds herself asking them, "How far is it from your work to your home? I need to know miles." Know your commute and your needs, and you might find that two cents a mile works just great for you.

Photo courtesy of Zenn.

Top Ten Scooters, Part Two: Electric

khallgeisler — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Why pay $4 a gallon, even when a gallon can get you nearly 100 miles on a scooter, when you can skip the gas station altogether? These little scooters cost literally pennies to charge fully and can get you around town, though not real fast and not real far -- yet. The technology is catching up fast, and these scooters have made some surprising converts.

Again, prices and stats are shopping guidelines, not the gospel. Check with retailers or manufacturers for exact numbers.

Vectrix: This super-stylish scooter was introduced just last fall, but the company has already sold half its inventory, including one to GM VP Bob Lutz. And that was during the winter, with an $11,000 price tag. The company has since dropped the price but not the performance. A full charge at a reasonable around-town speed of 35-40 mph will get you about 50 miles. Max speed 60 mph, max range 65 miles, $8,795.

Zap Zapino: This EV scooter could pass for a traditional gasser, but for the fact that it's silent and has zero emissions. Except for the smaller tires, the Zapino actually looks quite a bit like a Kymco People. Zap's promises for the full-sized auto market seem to be a bit sketchy, but this little scooter is in showrooms, ready to drive home for less than a new Vespa. Max speed 30 mph, max range 30 miles, $3,495.

Bravo: If you like the look of the Honda Metropolitan but want to send a message to Big Oil, the EVT-168 is the cutie for you. Like most of these models, the Bravo plugs into a regular household outlet. Last year, this scooter got a motor upgrade for a little more power and effieciency. Max speed 35 mph, max range 30 miles, $2,995.

Zero X: This isn't officially a scooter -- okay, it's not really a scooter at all -- but it was way too cool to not mention. The Zero X is a full-power electric dirtbike that uses cutting-edge lithium-ion batteries. Besides the obvious advantages of no emissions and minimal fuel cost at less than a penny a mile, this dirtbike can travel in wilderness areas that have restrictions on sound. Max speed 55 mph, max range 40 miles, $7,450.

Enertia: One more step up from the basic scooter sits the Enertia, from the people who brought you the open sports car the Ariel Atom. The bike uses lithium iron phosphate batteries to propel the carbon-fiber bike body. Brammo, the bike's builder, has received NHTSA/DOT approval for the Enertia and plans to have it in the hands of customers later this summer or early fall. Max speed 50 mph, max range 45 miles, $11,995.

Photo by Vectrix.

Detroit Electric Recharged

khallgeisler — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

A couple of weeks ago, Treehugger and AutoblogGreen both posted announcements about pioneering electric vehicle company Detroit Electric being brought back from the dead. US EV maker Zap and China’s Youngman Automotive Group have teamed up to manufacture and deliver affordable EVs under the century-old banner.

Here’s what you need to know to sound smart at the next potluck dinner. The Detroit Electric brand was around the first time from 1907 to 1939, under the umbrella of the Anderson Electric Car Company. The car came standard with a lead-acid rechargeable battery, just like most EVs today. They went about 80 miles on one charge, with a top speed of about 20 mph. Sadly, this is a lot like most EVs today, too. You’d think 100 years of technology would have improved on that a bit more.

Detroit Electric’s marketing plan targeted women and doctors, as EVs were more reliable and less stinky than internal-combustion engines. Clara Ford, wife of Henry, bought a car for herself from Detroit Electric because Ford cars were too noisy. Detroit Electric’s later models, while still running on electricity, were designed with long hoods like the more-powerful gas cars, which had radiators under those coffin noses, as they were called.

Enough history. What’s up with the new Detroit Electric? According to Alex Campbell of Zap, Youngman is one of the largest manufacturers in China, with a 4 million square-foot facility. The idea of the new partnership is to source parts from where they are made, all over the world, then assemble them in China to keep the resulting vehicles affordable.

The first project to come from the partnership will be electric buses sold by Zap by 2009. The new Detroit Electric’s flagship will be the Zap Alias, which they consider to be their flagship three-wheeled sports car, will begin production in the second quarter of 2009. If you’re interested in buying your place in line for that Zap Alias, the company announced today that they are taking reservations at $5,000 a pop. The car is expected to sell for $32,500 when it becomes available late next year.

The company will even be building a replica of the 1907 Detroit Electric car as a low-power neighborhood electric vehicle. In the future, it hopes to add more traditional, practical, affordable passenger models to the lineup. “The age of inexpensive oil is over,” explains Campbell. “Everyone else is playing catch-up.”